"I started playing piano at five or six," Freddy remembers. "Music was all around me." In the Chicago home of his youth, visitors included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Lionel Hampton. He also credits Billy Eckstine as a major influence. " He was a fantastic entertainer," Freddy recalls. " I learned so much from just watching and being around him." After a possible career with the NFL was shelved due to a hand injury, he began playing and singing in Chicago clubs as a teenager. Although he was ready to hit the road at 18, his mother intervened and he continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago.
Freddy moved to New York in 1951, where he studied at the Juilliard School of Music and found himself profoundly influenced by John Lewis, Oscar Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He got a Master's degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and then spent several months on the road as a member of an Earl Bostic band that also included Johnny Coles and Benny Golson.
It was back in New York that Freddy successfully laid the groundwork for a career that continues to flourish to this day. He developed a vast repertoire of songs in Manhattan bistros and concurrently began to supplement his live performances with television and radio commercial jingle work.
A resident of Atlanta since 1972, he currently leads a trio made up of himself, guitarist Jerry Byrd, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Elias Bailey that regularly tours the US, Europe, the Far East and South America. Freddy has been a recording artist since 1952, when his first single, "The Joke's on Me", was released on an obscure Chicago-based label.
Freddy recorded several albums for European and English companies during the 1970s that helped him develop a loyal overseas following. Cole believes that becoming an international favorite made him "widen my scope a little bit." He developed a stand-up act, a better rapport with audiences, and learned to sing in other languages. "It made me much more of a performer."
Cole doesn't apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat "King" Cole. There are certain unmistakable similarities. He plays piano and sings and performs live with guitar and upright bass, just like Nat. Yet his voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. But he has emerged from the awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. In truth, his phrasing is far closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday than that of his brother and his timing swings a little more. His vocals - suave, elegant, formidable, and articulate - are among the most respected in jazz. Cole's career continues to ascend as he has moved into the front ranks of America's homegrown art form with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
Blue Christmas
Freddy Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
Won't mean a thing, if you're not here with me
And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'
That's when those blue memories start callin'
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white,
I'll have a Blue Christmas that's certain
And when that blue heartache starts hurtin'
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white,
But I'll have a blue, blue, blu, blue Christmas
In "Blue Christmas," Freddy Cole sings about the heartache and loneliness that he feels during the holiday season without the person he loves. The song begins with a declaration that this Christmas will be a "Blue Christmas without you" and he will be "so blue just thinking about you." The decorations and symbols of Christmas, represented by the red and green colors of the tree, will be meaningless without his loved one there to share them with.
The second verse of the song describes the memories that arise with the falling snow and how they intensify the sense of loneliness. While his loved one may be having a happy "Christmas of white," Freddy Cole will be dealing with a "blue, blue Christmas" filled with heartache and sadness.
While "Blue Christmas" is a classic holiday song, it explores a less cheerful side of the season - the sense of loss and loneliness that many people feel during what is supposed to be a joyous time. Cole's performance of the song is filled with emotion and can resonate with anyone who has experienced heartbreak during the holidays.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll have a Blue Christmas without you
The singer will be sad during the Christmas season because the person he/she is missing won't be there.
I'll be so blue just thinking about you
The mere thought of the person he/she is missing will make the singer sad.
Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree
The traditional colors associated with the holiday season won't bring any joy for the singer because of the absence of the person he/she is missing.
Won't mean a thing, if you're not here with me
The decorations and festivities lose their significance because of the artist's longing for the person who is far away.
And when those blue snowflakes start fallin'
The arrival of winter and snow will deepen the artist's sense of sadness and loneliness.
That's when those blue memories start callin'
The memories of the times spent with the person he/she is missing become more intense and painful during the Christmas season.
You'll be doin' all right, with your Christmas of white,
The person who is far away might be enjoying a nice Christmas season, but that does not alleviate the singer's sadness.
But I'll have a blue, blue Christmas
The artist's Christmas will be filled with sadness and longing for the person he/she is missing.
I'll have a Blue Christmas that's certain
The artist's sadness and loneliness during the Christmas season is inevitable and definite.
And when that blue heartache starts hurtin'
The pain of missing the person becomes more intense, making the artist feel more lonely and blue.
But I'll have a blue, blue, blu, blue Christmas
The repetition of 'blue' emphasizes the depth of the singer's sadness and the extent of his/her longing for the person who is far away.
Lyrics © DEMI MUSIC CORP. D/B/A LICHELLE MUSIC COMPANY, EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HUGH MARTIN, RALPH BLANE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind