From hanging with Elvis to dodging Roy Rogers’ calls, the seasoned saxophonist’s life was simply epic
Cole was a legend in the Irish entertainment industry and one of the country’s most respected musicians. His professional career playing Dixieland jazz began at the age of 12 in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, and lasted until his cancer diagnosis.
He also gave rise to one of the great anecdotes in Irish showbusiness, first told by Kevin Marron in the Sunday World.
While doing a residency in Las Vegas, members of his band, the Big 8 showband, became friendly with their boyhood hero, Roy Rogers — a famous TV cowboy with a horse called Trigger. One night, Rogers had gone to their…