There are so many great stories about music and the wonderful people that play it, and this is definitely one of them….  1996 Nathan Cavaleri performed at the Presidential White House in Washington DC, sharing the stage with Etta James, Bonnie Rait, Steve Cropper, Dr John, and Joe Lewis Walker. He was there as one of one of a few select guests personally invited to attend by blues legend BB King, who was being presented with an award by the then US president Bill Clinton. The invitation came off the back of Cavaleri having had toured the full breadth of both the US and Australia with King, swapping one on one guitar licks with him to crowds numbering tens of thousands. He was 13 years old.

Immediately prior to the US tour with King, Cavaleri had played to a crowd of 60,000 at a festival in Zurich billed alongside Bo Diddley, Rod Stewart, Chuck Berry, REM, Page and Plant, Sheryl Crow and Elton John. Jimmy Page asked him for a signed copy of his cd and Chuck Berry requested a one on one lunch with him, looking back on it now he muses he was probably too young to have fully appreciated a lot of it. Such has been his journey. In his own words: ”I didn’t know who the f**k Jimmy Page was and politely signed the CD. I was rushing cos I didn’t want to miss the one artist I did know on the bill “Ugly Kid Joe”, ha ha – the priorities of a 12 year old. On that bill they put me on main stage in between the two headliners… Elton John and Page and Plant. Incidentally, there was an unknown band called Silverchair playing the tiny tent out the back too”.

The 7 years prior to the White House show had all been a bit of a blur for Cavaleri. Having been diagnosed with terminal Leukemia at 6 years old, and playing guitar since he was able to physically hold one, his family spent 6 months a year in the US and 6 months a year in Australia. By ten years old he’d appeared on CNN, Conan O’Brien, Entertainment Tonight and Good Morning America – to name but a few.

The white house show was pretty much the last time Nathan Cavaleri played guitar for literally years. On his own bidding and in their best judgment, Nathan’s parents pulled him out of the limelight out of concern that he was being thrown into a future that was not his choosing. It gave Cavaleri a chance to finish school and ultimately – to think about what he really wanted to do.

Cavaleri, decided to take time out from music until he met former Screaming Jets drummer Col Hatchman and Nat Cole and The Kings were born.

Live Nat Col and the Kings have been unfurling their wings to a huge response. Over the past eighteen months the band has toured nationally playing Byron Bay Blues Festival, The Indy V8 Supercars, Apollo Bay, Caxton Street Festival, Queenscliff, Broadbeach Bluesfest and many more

Nat Col & The Kings have just announced the release of ‘Coming Home‘, the lead single from their forthcoming EP and a east coast tour for August and September!

Thursday 16 August – Port Macquarie Hotel, Port Macquarie NSW – Free Entry

Saturday 18 August – Racehorse Hotel, Ipswich  QLD

Sunday 19 August –  Mansfield Tavern, Mansfield QLD

Thursday 30 August –  The Evelyn, Fitzroy VIC

Friday 31 August –  Ruby’s, Belgrave VIC

Saturday 1 September –  Bended Elbow, Geelong  VIC

Friday 7 September – The Vanguard, Sydney NSW

Saturday 8 September – Fitzroy Hotel, Windsor NSW – Free Entry

Friday 14 September –  Grand Junction Hotel, Maitland NSW

Saturday 15 September – The Heritage, Bulli NSW

For more information on ticketing for the shows go to:  facebook.com/natcolandthekings

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