Cole was raised in Rockport, Massachusetts; her mother, Stephanie Cole, was an elementary school art teacher, and her father, Jim Cole, was a professor of biology and ecology at Salem State College and played bass in the polka band "Johnny Prytko and The Connecticut Hi-Tones".\n', ' \n', '\n', '

She attended Rockport High School, where she was president of her senior class and performed in school theatrical productions such as South Pacific. Cole then attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she studied jazz singing and improvisation. She was offered a record deal by a jazz label, but decided to turn it down.\n', '

Cole got her first big professional break when she was invited to perform on Peter Gabriel\'s 1993–94 Secret World Live tour. Shortly after this, she was signed on with her first record company Imago Records. Through this record company, she released her first album Harbinger in 1994. Within that year of Harbinger\'s release, Imago Records went out of business. In 1995, she was signed on to Warner Bros. Records. The record company reissued Harbinger in the autumn of 1995.\n', '

Return to Paula Cole Autograph Profile