I tuned in to a jazz station yesterday, and they were playing a song I hadn't heard before by Nat King Cole. What a voice.
The only trouble was, as the subsequent announcement informed me, the song was sung by someone else. It wasn't the first time I'd been fooled.
Now, I'm well aware that Oscar Peterson curtailed his singing because his voice resembled that of Nat King Cole so very closely, but tell me, please:
1. Why?
2. And was the similarity in tone, texture, phrasing and delivery intentional?
3. And what was NKC's own view?

Not being familiar with Oscar Peterson, I found this info on him. Extremely talented piano player.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Peterson

Also here is a performance with Nat King Cole.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ayQq5AQxF0

I was looking for a video with Oscar Peterson singing. The ones I found he was on piano. Hopefully someone might run across one I have overlooked.

We are in luck!!! A few minutes after my first post, I did find a youtube video with OP singing. And yes there are similarities to NKC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJuyuRew2RA

Oscar Peterson SINGS "These Foolish Things...."

A comment below the vid clip -

Me, neither!!!LOL
At first, I just thought that it was Nat King Cole singing, but, then, I looked it up. Apparently, this album is from a 1953 session, produced by Norman Granz.
It does NOT get any better than that kind of combo!!
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He sounds very much like COle, but a careful listener will hear differences. Still, the resemblance is remarkable.

Most, if not all, of the clips below are from the same album.

"I'm Glad There Is You"

"Autumn In New York"

For Comparison, Oscar Peterson Trio with Coleman Hawkins and Nat King Cole, "Sweet Lorraine" (Hawkins is something else.)

And just for the sheer joy of it, The Oscar Peterson Trio with vocal stylings by Clark Terry, "Mumbles"

3 More versions of "Mumbles" Terry still has his chops at 87. He cut an album in 2005, and played at the White House in 2006.