Freddy Cole(1931-2020)
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Lionel Frederick Cole was born on October 15, 1931, the youngest of
Edward and Paulina Nancy Cole's five children. His three elder
brothers, Eddie Cole,
Ike Cole and
Nat 'King' Cole (twelve years Freddy's
senior) were all musicians. "I started playing piano at five or six",
Freddy remembers. "Music was all around me". In the Chicago home of his
youth, visitors included Duke Ellington,
Count Basie and
Lionel Hampton. He also credits
Billy Eckstine as a major influence. "He
was a fantastic entertainer", Freddy recalls. "I learned so much from
just watching and being around him". After a possible career with the
NFL was shelved due to a hand injury, he began playing and singing in
Chicago clubs as a teenager. 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. Freddy moved to New York in 1951, where
he studied at the Juillard School of Music and found himself profoundly
influenced by John Lewis,
Oscar Peterson and
Teddy Wilson. He got a master's
degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and then spent several
months on the road as a member of an Earl Bostic band that also
included Johnny Coles and
Benny Golson.
It was back in New York that Freddy successfully laid the groundwork for a career that continues to flourish to this day. He developed a vast repertoire of songs in Manhattan bistros and concurrently began to supplement his live performances with television and radio commercial jingle work. A resident of Atlanta since 1972, he currently leads a trio made up of himself, guitarist Jerry Byrd, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Zachery Pride that regularly tours the U.S., Europe, the Far East and South America. Freddy has been a recording artist since 1952, when his first single, "The Joke's on Me", was released on an obscure Chicago-based label. Freddy recorded several albums for European and English companies during the '70s that helped him develop a loyal overseas following. Cole believes that becoming an international favorite made him "widen my scope a little bit". He developed a stand-up act, a better rapport with audiences, and learned to sing in other languages. "It made me much more of a performer".
Cole doesn't apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat 'King' Cole. There are certain unmistakable similarities. He plays piano and sings and performs live with guitar and upright bass, just like Nat. Yet his voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. But he has emerged from the awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. In truth, his phrasing is far closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday than that of his brother and his timing swings a little more. His vocals - suave, elegant, formidable, and articulate - are among the most respected in jazz. Cole's career continues to ascend as he's moved into the front ranks of America's homegrown art form with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
It was back in New York that Freddy successfully laid the groundwork for a career that continues to flourish to this day. He developed a vast repertoire of songs in Manhattan bistros and concurrently began to supplement his live performances with television and radio commercial jingle work. A resident of Atlanta since 1972, he currently leads a trio made up of himself, guitarist Jerry Byrd, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Zachery Pride that regularly tours the U.S., Europe, the Far East and South America. Freddy has been a recording artist since 1952, when his first single, "The Joke's on Me", was released on an obscure Chicago-based label. Freddy recorded several albums for European and English companies during the '70s that helped him develop a loyal overseas following. Cole believes that becoming an international favorite made him "widen my scope a little bit". He developed a stand-up act, a better rapport with audiences, and learned to sing in other languages. "It made me much more of a performer".
Cole doesn't apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat 'King' Cole. There are certain unmistakable similarities. He plays piano and sings and performs live with guitar and upright bass, just like Nat. Yet his voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. But he has emerged from the awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. In truth, his phrasing is far closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday than that of his brother and his timing swings a little more. His vocals - suave, elegant, formidable, and articulate - are among the most respected in jazz. Cole's career continues to ascend as he's moved into the front ranks of America's homegrown art form with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
