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 HALL OF FAME BIO
Lionel Frederick Cole was born on October 15, 1931, the youngest of 4 musical brothers, Eddie, Ike and Nat. Freddy began playing the piano by the time he was six years old. Young Freddy was exposed to jazz music by legends like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Lionel Hampton, who would often visit the Cole’s family home in Chicago, Il. After a hand injury shelved a possible NFL career, Freddy began playing and singing in Chicago clubs. Although he was ready to hit the road as a performance artist at 18, his mother intervened and he continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago.
Freddy moved to New York in 1951 where he studied at the Juilliard School of Music and found himself profoundly influenced by John Lewis, Oscar Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He completed Master's degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and then spent several months on the road with Earl Bostic, Johnny Coles and Benny Golson. These accomplishments and his 1952 album debut, created the groundwork for a career that is still in high-gear.
Cole doesn't apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat "King" Cole. As with many talented families, there are unmistakable similarities. Both brothers act’s included vocals with piano, guitar and upright bass. Freddy’s voice is a bit more jazz influenced with phrasing similar to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday.
A resident of Atlanta since 1972, Cole currently leads an internationally recognized trio made up of himself, guitarist Royce Campbell, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Elias Bailey. Cole's career continues to grow with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
ALL MUSIC GUIDE BIO
The younger brother of Nat King Cole and uncle of Natalie Cole, singer/pianist Freddy Cole sounds a great deal like his celebrated sibling, yet has a personality of his own. Cole, whose vocals tend to be a bit darker and slightly rougher, began playing piano at five or six. He was interested in playing football professionally, but decided to pursue a career in music after a hand injury ended his career as an athlete. Cole debuted on vinyl in 1952, when he recorded the single "The Joke's on Me" for the obscure Chicago-based Topper Records. His next single, "Whispering Grass" on Columbia's OKeh label, was a moderate hit in 1953. In the '60s and '70s, he developed a small following recording for various small labels. Cole founded his First Shot label in the '80s and went on to record for Sunnyside and LaserLight in the early '90s. A few years later, he signed with Fantasy and enjoyed greater visibility with Grand Freddy. By 2000, Cole had signed with Telarc and released his first disc for the label, Merry-Go-Round, followed by Rio de Janeiro Blue in 2001. In the Name of Love appeared two years later featuring Cole's approach to soft pop hits made famous by Smokey Robinson, Bonnie Raitt, and Van Morrison among others. In 2004 GRP reissued Cole's 1964 recording Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues. It was followed in 2005 by This Love of Mine, in 2006 by Because of You, and in 2007 by Music Maestro Please, all three on the Highnote label. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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© 2006 All Music Guide, LLC