Stud Cole (23 November 1943 - 23 June 1997) was a singer and songwriter.
Better known as Stud Cole, Patrick Anthony Tirone was born in Buffalo, New York. He recorded first as Patrick Tyrone ('It Ain't Right', 1963), then as Virgil Trucks and the Noblemen ('The Witch', 1964) and as Virgil Trux ('I Don't Want To Go' and 'I'm Glad', 1966).
Here's "It Ain't Right" from 1963
His best work was an eleven-track LP that he recorded as Stud Cole, with all songs credited to P.A. Tirone. The album, released on his own Pacific Atlantic Tribune-label (P.A.T.) in 1968, was sent to radio stations but nothing happened after which Stud Cole left the music business, disillusioned.
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He has been described as “Jack Starr meets Johnny Kidd,” “a lysergic Conway Twitty” and “Elvis fronting the ’66 Yardbirds” but his stand-alone uniqueness is quite notable and its a wonder why he never became more well known. Tirone was a bartender that seemed to like Elvis and wanted to just make a rock and roll record. He never played live and just got a bunch of teens to be his band and record these strange lo-fi sounds. Once it was done he just went back to being a bartender. His fusion of 60’s rock and gritty country still sounds years ahead of its time, his seductive singing style both alluring and skittish with its contrasting soft undertones and rough-round-the-edges quality.
Beyond his brief recording history, virtually no reliable public records exist detailing his real full name, birth/death dates, or life after music. Like many regional rockabilly performers of the era, he faded into obscurity shortly after his records were pressed. He died 23 June 1997 in Los Angeles, California.
(Very scarce information edited from The Listening Post, Discogs & Dan Lovrenski @Facebook)
