Nashville performer lured by local scene

Country music artist relocates to Summerlin

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He wears Western shirts, prays before going on stage, and sings country rock songs -- so, why does he live in Sin City? Because sometimes furthering your career in country music means moving away from Nashville.

That's what Larry Cole, who performs under the single name of Cole, decided to do.

"When you're an original artist, you usually promote yourself outside of Vegas," he said. "But lately, I've been feeling Vegas is becoming more of a musical mecca. You can have a career here."

Not that Nashville-based country music scene wasn't good to him. When he arrived there, he was fresh out of high school. His vocal talent and guitar-playing savvy put him in the studio, and later, on the road with the big names of the genre. It also got him on stage at Grand Ole Opry.

"It felt like a dream," he said of that achievement.

His Web site includes his motto: Dream it. Live it. Be it. It's his approach to every creative venture.

It hasn't all been easy street.

"There were times when things got lean and mean," he said.

He resorted to side jobs like being a DJ, a sound man, a showroom usher, and he worked in video production.

Ray Walker, bass singer of the Jordanaires, said he kept seeing Cole in the audience at various performances.

"We'd do a show in Kentucky, and he'd be there," Walker said. "We'd do a show in Wisconsin, and he'd be there. We'd do a show in Michigan, and he'd be there ... Finally I asked him who he was and where he lived."

The two became friends, especially after they learned they lived less than a mile form one another.

"Cole mentioned that he 'sang some,' " Walker said. "Well, come to find out, he'd opened for headliners in Michigan."

Cole eventually formed his own band, 212, and put out his first CD, "Lost in Blue Dreams," which featured his original music.

All the while, he refused to let anyone dictate where he should appear, what he should sing, how he should spin the songs. Instead, he followed his heart.

"Nashville, it's a cookie-cutter thing," he said. "They tried to make me into something I wasn't."

Five years ago, he left it behind to settle here. He now lives at The Lakes.

He got good vibrations from the Las Vegas area after tagging along with the Jordanaires for a gig.

The trip led to him to appearing on local television, and later, as a regular at live broadcasts from Buck Hunter's "Night Shift" at the Gold Coast.

He went on to appear in "Deuces Wild" at both O'Shea's and Lady Luck, and as part of the Cruisin' Rock 'n' Roll Show at the Westward Ho.

After signing with the Bermuda Records label, which was started by Las Vegas talent Frankie Moreno, he put out other records.

"He has an organic sound to his voice," Moreno said. "Everything's so commercial and catchy these days, they mechanic things up so much, but his sound is different on the ear."

Two years ago, Cole was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He also released more CDs. They can be ordered off his Web site at www.rockncole.com.

On Jan. 30, he opened for country star Josh Turner at the House of Blues.

Just because he calls Las Vegas home, that doesn't mean he's here a lot.

Cole and 212 recently returned from months of touring. They performed in Sweden, where they were so popular, fans mobbed them after the concert, Cole said. Between 2006 and 2008, he and the band did six tours there.

The band also played in Germany, Denmark, Holland and Taiwan. They also are popular on the country circuit in the United States.

"I'm traveling all over like a monkey," Cole said. "It's kind of nice to stay at home."

His newest CD is titled "Cole," and has 11 songs on it.

Cole said that he'd keep writing songs and performing even if he won Megabucks tomorrow.

"It's not about the money," he said. "It's about the dream."

Contact Summerlin and Summerlin South View reporter Jan Hogan at jhogan@viewnews.com or 387-2949.