Raised among music royalty, Lionel Cole—nephew of Nat King Cole, cousin to Natalie Cole, and son of Freddy Cole—grew up immersed in the music business. By six, he had earned his first equity card; by nine, was on his first television show. One of his earliest photos shows him seated at a piano before his first birthday.
Still, determined to forge his own identity while holding deep respect for the family legacy, Cole followed his father’s belief that music should be discovered personally—and his mother’s insistence on discipline and education. Today, Cole is respected in his own lane as a writer, producer, musician, and singer.
“You learn to be a character,” says Cole. “At 15, I was working at the State Department as head computer programmer, while in high school. Herbie Hancock would be hanging at the house. We’d be driving over to see Dizzy Gillespie, uncle George [Benson] was taking me to sit in with the Brecker brothers, dad said I wrote the song… What is normal?”
After studying composition and vocal studies at Northwestern University, Cole moved to Los Angeles to pursue songwriting and production, with work quickly expanding into television and film. A staff composer and music editor on California Dreams, The Brady Bunch Movie, Once Upon a Time… When We Were Colored, Asunder, and Linc’s, Cole also served as director of music at New Millennium Studios.
Projects (alongside business partner Randy Jackson) include remixing “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” (Az Yet) and work with Sam Moore, Van Hunt, John Legend, and Joss Stone. He also arranged Mariah Carey’s Boston Pops “Star-Spangled Banner” Super Bowl performance (post-9/11) and GRAMMY-winning “A Family Affair.”
Crossing a broad musical spectrum, Cole also led funk band Miles Long (with Jamal-Warner), whose debut album featured Cindy Herron of En Vogue and Teena Marie. He sang on John Powell’s score for The Bourne Identity, spent two years as bandleader on Malcolm & Eddie, and performed as vocalist and pianist with Robert Downey Jr.’s band during their morning talk show circuit.
Though he helped shape material for his father’s recordings, Cole’s first major commercial breakthrough came when he co-wrote “Through the Rain” (and two other songs) with Carey for Charmbracelet. Touring as her pianist and backing vocalist, he also recorded on “Never Too Far Hero.” Later touring as a multi-instrumentalist for Rickie Lee Jones (2010) and auditioning for The Voice Australia (2014), the experiences reinforced his professional independence.
Cole’s recent albums reflect both heritage and individuality. He describes With Love (2023) and Small Town, Vol. 1 (2024) as “a tip of my hat. That was all Nat and my dad. The American Songbook—that is the brand.” Small Town, Vol. 2 is more personal (with more original music than covers), but still nostalgic. For now, he is focused on simply being the artist. “I’m not a producer, not the A&R guy,” he says. “I’m actually sweating. It’s humbling.”
His creative philosophy is intuitive. “Older me realize[s] there’s a point where whatever is the most-high reaches through me,” confesses Cole. “That connection makes a waveform, and that waveform is carrying weight. My family were performers. I came out to Australia to learn how to stand up, be who I am, and find out what that was. I’m a little shy, but not about my ideas. The ideas I stand for and waveforms I create are meant to make people better.”
In a small town outside Sydney, Australia, Cole balances young artist mentorship and building a community arts hub from his studio. With more than 300 original works across jazz, soul, Americana, and pop to date, hosting in-flight music series Center Stage for American Airline—and coming projects including a new opera, a reunion with The Bridge, and plans for three album releases this year—his creative output remains wide-ranging.
Looking back, he reflects on his unusual path. “I lived life backwards. I was an old man out of college and it took a long time to get to be the person who can look you in the eye and say, ‘Hi, I’m Lionel.’”
Contact Maverick Alexander - Miller PR, maverick@millerpr.com
Visit Lionel Cole at lionelcolemusic.com
