Cole grew up in Chicago, where visitors to his home included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Lionel Hamptom.
Although he began playing piano at age six, Cole hoped for a career with the NFL. A hand injury ended this dream and the teenaged Cole began playing and singing in Chicago clubs. Although he was ready to hit the road at 18, his mother intervened and he continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago before moving to New York in 1951. While in New York, Cole studied at the Juilliard School of Music, then went on to get a master’s degree at the New England Conservatory of Music.
Cole's first single, "The Joke's on Me", was released in 1952 by Topper Records, a small Chicago-based label. His next single, "Whispering Grass" on Columbia's OKeh label, was a moderate hit in 1953. He later spent several months on the road with Johnny Coles and Benny Golson as a member of an Earl Bostic band before returning to hone his skills in the bistros of New York. He went on to work with Grover Washington, Jr. and to record jingles for various companies, including Turner Classic Movies
During the 1970s, Cole recorded several albums for European and English based labels. He was the subject of the 2006 documentary The Cole Nobody Knows by filmmaker Clay Walker. In June of that year, Cole was added to the Steinway Artist roster.
Cole was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 2007 . In July 2009, Cole released a recording featuring his own quartet (guitarist Randy Napoleon, drummer Curtis Boyd, and bassist Elias Bailey), along with alto saxophonist Jerry Weldon and pianist John DiMartino playing live at Dizzy's jazz club in Lincoln Center.
Cole and his trio continue to regularly tour the US, Europe, the Far East and South America.
Cole's influences included John Lewis, Oscar Peterson, Teddy Wilson and Billy Eckstine. When speaking of Eckstine, Cole recalled, "He was a fantastic entertainer. I learned so much from just watching and being around him."
Category:1931 births Category:Living people Category:American jazz pianists Category:American jazz singers Category:American male singers Category:Sue Records artists
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