Richard Cole
| Richard Cole | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Richard Cole |
| Born | January 2, 1946 |
| Origin | Kensal Rise, England |
| Occupation(s) | Tour manager, Music manager |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Associated acts | Led Zeppelin, The Yardbirds, Vanilla Fudge, The New Vaudeville Band, Unit 4 + 2, Fem 2 Fem, Crazy Town, Fu Manchu, Eric Clapton, Black Sabbath, The Gipsy Kings, The Searchers, Young Rascals, Lita Ford, Three Dog Night, London Quireboys, The Who, Ozzy Osbourne, The Throbs |
| Website | www.ledzeppelin.com |
Richard Cole (born January 2, 1946) is an English music manager, who was involved in the rock music business from the mid-1960s to 2003, and is most famous for being the tour manager of English rock band Led Zeppelin from 1968 to 1980.
Cole was from Kensal Rise, in the north London borough of Brent. His father was an architect who worked for Rolls Royce vehicle design, and later in aircraft assembly during World War II. At age twelve, Cole became interested in music after hearing Elvis Presley and The Everly Brothers. At age fifteen he quit school and with his first job working at a dairy factory in Acton, earned enough money to purchase a drumkit, to which he practiced along to Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa records. The low wages forced Cole to take up an apprenticeship in sheet-metal working whilst also working as a scaffolder on construction sites. He was also very interested in the fashion industry, at one point harbouring plans to be a fashion designer, and he claims to have designed the shirts worn by John Lennon and Ringo Starr on the Revolver album cover, and contributing to the album graphics.
Cole was drawn into the music business after meeting Richard Green, journalist for the Record Mirror, at the Marquee Club in 1965. Green suggested that Cole contact John Barker, the manager of pop band Unit 4 + 2, for a job as their road manager. Barker gave Cole the job, and he soon became one of rock's most respected tour managers, working for The Who in 1965 and The New Vaudeville Band in 1966. In 1967 Cole moved to America and worked for Vanilla Fudge as a sound engineer. When he heard that The Yardbirds were coming to America in 1968, he contacted their manager Peter Grant, whom he had previously known when Grant was the manager of the New Vaudeville Band, and became their tour manager. When The Yardbirds dissolved shortly thereafter, Grant and Cole became the manager and tour manager respectively of Led Zeppelin.
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