BIOGRAPHY

A troubadour of sorts – a man with a voice, a mellifluous voice that grips you and draws you through his heartfelt melodies; and a guitar, an instrument of cedar that he pulls to life with a slight of hand. The music of Jim Cole is made up of the stuff we all live, enveloped into inspired melodies.

Music has moved Jim since the days of his youth, growing up in the small town of Lebanon, Ohio. “When I was fourteen, I purchased my first guitar at a paint, wallpaper, and musical instruments shop. As a kid, growing up in an alcoholic family, music was a way of dealing with a lot of internal turmoil.” After his conversion to Christianity in July of 1974, Jim began to use his music as a way to work through his newly found faith.

Today, that fusion of meaningful lyrics and irresistible melodies has carried Jim Cole into the heart of Americana and contemporary Christian music. Listeners have embraced his honest and unpretentious style, resulting in these top five radio singles: “Light of the World,” “I Can Trust in You,” “Humble Yourself as a Child,” “He is the One,” and “Shepherd of all Who Wander.”

After releasing five albums, and performing before thousands across the country, Jim continues to be astonished by the response his music receives. “It’s great to hear from people who have been touched by these songs. It has been good to know that the Lord is using this in ways I am not even aware of.”

Jim has released his latest project, “Learning and Unlearning”. Fans have been waiting patiently for a new recording, and they have not been disappointed in this newest endeavor. The project deals with the struggles and newly found joys of mid-life introspection. From the introspective “Problem of Pain,” to the hard-won wisdom in “Learning and Unlearning,” Jim’s melodies reach a sublime sweetness with songs like “Angel Love.”

While Jim feels very fortunate to be a recording artist, his greatest challenge encompasses more than his music. “It has to do with being a committed Christian. I also feel as though I am in a transition from admirer to disciple. I feel as though there is much misinformation about what it means to be a Christian. It's my conviction that God is not calling us to be judgmental of others or to take a position of political power over them. True morality can not be legislated but can only come by way of a changed heart. I feel very strongly that the message of Christianity calls us to a position of service: to be willing to serve others in much the same way that Christ served the impoverished, the outcast, the sick, and the marginalized of this world.”

This is the same challenge that faces many of us, and is part of the essence of Jim Cole’s music. “I want to be as honest as I can about the things I’ve been through – the joys and sorrows, successes and failures – and to use those experiences as a well to draw from. Hopefully, the songs that result from that kind of writing will be songs that mean something to others.” Those who know Jim Cole’s music have no doubt about that.