Ike Cole

The brother of the great Nat "King" Cole, Ike Cole was a respected jazz pianist and composer. Born on July 13, 1927, in Chicago, IL, Ike began his musical career by playing the bass drum in an Army band, and by 1957, had formed the Ike Cole Trio in Chicago. Ike and his band received major TV exposure, and soon after became a steady attraction in Las Vegas. Throughout the years, his band toured Japan, Australia, Europe, and the United States regularly. At one point, though, Cole became so fed up with the constant comparisons to his famous brother that he seriously considered changing his last name, but ultimately kept it. Ike and another pianist brother, Freddy (who also sang), toured together in 1990 with a tribute show to their brother Nat. The following year, Ike lent his keyboard playing talents to another tribute of sorts to his late brother — his niece Natalie Cole's Grammy Award-winning album Unforgettable. On April 22, 2001, Cole lost a battle with cancer at the age of 73.