Nat King Cole
Unlike Ray Charles, Nat King Cole rejected the Civil Rights Movement. He was willing to perform in front of segregated audiences early on. Accusations of being an Uncle Tom eventually led him to join other performers in not singing for segregated crowds.
Hazel Scott
Touted as the “Darling of Café Society” in the late 1930s, Hazel Scott was one of the first in the movie and music industry to deny performances for segregated fans. All of her contracts required a forfeit if races were split. “Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro, and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?” she said at the time.
