Biography
Who is Paula Cole?
Early life and education
Paula Dorothy Cole grew up in Rockport, Massachusetts. Her mother, Stephanie Cole, worked as an elementary school art teacher and mixed media artist. Her father, Jim Cole, was a professor of biology and ecology at Salem State College and played bass in a polka band called Johnny Prytko and the Connecticut Hi-Tones. Her older sister Irene played the piano. During her time at Rockport High School, she served as class president and performed in theatrical productions such as South Pacific.
She later attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston to study jazz singing and improvisation with Bob Stoloff. She also participated in a school chorus group called Vox One. Her education focused on jazz standards, which she performed at various lounges and nightclubs while a student.
Early musical career
After graduating from Berklee, she relocated to San Francisco to write songs. She lived with three roommates while developing a home studio. She built a demo collection including a track that later became the song Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?. Terry Ellis, president of Imago Records, signed her in 1992 after hearing her demos.
Her first professional break came when she joined Peter Gabriel's 1993-94 Secret World Tour. She replaced Sinéad O'Connor on the tour after a recommendation from engineer Kevin Killen. She flew to Mannheim, Germany, to rehearse before playing to 16,000 people. She appeared on the concert video Secret World Live, performing duets like Blood of Eden and Don't Give Up.
Rise to fame and This Fire
She released her debut album, Harbinger, in 1994, but label issues limited its promotion. In 1996, she released her second album, This Fire, on Warner Bros. Records. The album peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart. The single Where Have All the Cowboys Gone? Reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1997. Another hit, I Don't Want to Wait, served as the theme song for the television series Dawson's Creek.
In 1998, Paula Cole won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. That same year, she became the first woman nominated for Producer of the Year without a male collaborator. She headlined the Lilith Fair tour in 1997 and 1998.
Later albums and teaching
She released her third album, Amen, in 1999. She took a seven-year hiatus following this release to focus on motherhood. She returned to music with the 2007 album Courage and released Ithaca in 2010. Her sixth album, Raven, was funded through a Kickstarter campaign in 2012 and released in 2013. She wrote all eleven songs on the album, most of which were recorded in a barn in Massachusetts.
She released the album 7 in 2015 and Lo in 2024. Beyond her recording career, she has served as a faculty member at the Berklee College of Music since 2013. She continues to write and perform music.
Birthday and age
Paula Cole was born on April 5, 1968, which makes Paula 58 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Paula shares the date with 30 other famous people.
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