BJ Cole
| B. J. Cole | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Brian John Cole |
| Also known as | B. J. |
| Born |
17 June 1946 Enfield, Middlesex, England |
| Genres | country; pop |
| Instruments | Pedal steel guitar |
| Associated acts |
Cochise Hank Wangford |
Brian John "B. J." Cole (born 17 June 1946) is an English pedal steel guitarist, who has long been active as a session and solo musician. Coming to prominence in the early 1970s with the band Cochise, Cole has played in many styles, ranging from mainstream pop and rock to jazz and eclectic experimental music, but has never forgotten the instrument's roots in country music. Through his varied and extensive session work and long career as a performer, he has come to be regarded as Britain's pre-eminent pedal steel guitarist. Cole also plays lap steel and dobro.
Cole grew up in Enfield, attending Chase Side primary school and Chace secondary school for boys. He became interested in music in his teens, his first major inspiration being The Shadows. Cole initially learned to play guitar, but became disillusioned with the instrument, conscious of the number of talented guitarists that were already active on the music scene. Performances by the American duo Santo & Johnny aired on the Perry Como show introduced him to the exotic and unusual sound of the steel guitar, and in 1963, he traded in some toy trains to buy his first lap steel – a Dallas Rangemaster.
Around two years later, Cole first became aware of the pedal steel guitar, and soon acquired his first instrument, a Fender 1000. What had been an enthusiasm now became a passion: Cole began to play in bands in his free time and to become actively involved in the music scene, landing his first ‘proper’ session in 1968; this was for Albert Lee, work which was included on the album Black Claw & Country Fever, released much later, in 1991.
In 1968, while playing at a gig in Kingston, South London, Cole was head-hunted to join what was to be an English group conceived on the lines of the Flying Burrito Brothers. The project never got off the ground, but through it Cole was introduced to the singer Stewart Brown, a former member of the band Bluesology with Elton John. In 1969, Brown invited Cole to become a member of the new heavy rock/country band Cochise, with Mick Grabham on guitar, Rick Wills on bass, and Willie Wilson on drums. Cochise enjoyed moderate success, and released three albums – Cochise (Liberty/United Artists, 1970), Swallow Tales (United Artists, 1971) and So Far (United Artists, 1972) – all of which included songs written by Cole. The tracks on these albums were included on a two-disc anthology, Velvet Mountain (Eclectic/Cherry Red), issued in 2013.
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