B. J. Cole

Cole plays lap steel and dobro. Cole was born on 17 June 1946 in London. He grew up in Enfield, attending Chase Side primary school and Enfield Chase 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.