Stranger Cole

Biography

Wilburn Theodore Cole (26 June 1942 – 11 June 2026), known professionally as Stranger Cole, was a Jamaican singer whose long recording career dates from the early days of ska in 1962 through to his death in 2026.

Early life and career

Wilburn Theodore Cole was born in Kingston, Jamaica on 26 July 1942, and nicknamed "Stranger" by his family, as they considered that he did not resemble any member of his family.
Cole was initially successful as a songwriter, writing "In and out the Window", which was a hit for Eric "Monty" Morris. This success gave him the chance to make his recording debut in 1962, instantly finding success with singles such as "Rough and Tough" and "When You Call My Name" (a duet with Patsy Todd) for producer Arthur "Duke" Reid. Further success followed with singles for Reid through to the mid-1960s, and he also worked with other producers at this time, including Clement "Coxsone" Dodd (a duet with Ken Boothe on "Worlds Fair"), and Prince Buster. Further duets included recordings with Gladstone Anderson (on "Just Like a River") and Hortense Ellis, the tendency to record duets apparently due to his shyness when it came to singing alone. In the late 1960s and early 1970s he recorded with several producers, including Bunny Lee, Lee "Scratch" Perry, and Sonia Pottinger. These included further material with Todd as "Stranger & Patsy."
In 1971 Cole emigrated to the United Kingdom, where he toured extensively, and moved on again to Canada in 1973, settling in Toronto. He worked as a machinist in the Tonka Toy factory in Toronto and later opened a record store, the first Caribbean shop in Toronto's Kensington Market area. His first album, "Forward" in the Land of Sunshine×"Forward" in the Land of Sunshine1976 · Studio albumSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracksA1Stepping StoneA2Burn CaesarA3Red Green & GoldA4I'm LivingA5These Arms of MineB1Mouth A-MasseyB2Freedom Justice and EqualityB3Lifting Me HigherB4What Was in Your MindB5Children, was released in 1976, with a handful of further albums released over the next ten years, mostly on his own label. In 2006, Cole released his first album in twenty years, Morning Train, a collaboration with Jah Shaka. Cole is featured in the 2009 documentary Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae, in which he and other stars of the rocksteady era reunited to record a new album of the same name, released in August 2009. Cole's sons, Squiddly and Marcus, followed him into a music career: Squiddly working as a drummer for artists including Ziggy Marley and Mutabaruka; and Marcus Cole (aka KxritoXisen) producing music for his father.

"Bangarang"

Cole is credited with creating the first reggae song with his hit, "Bangarang". The song was recorded in 1968 at Duke Reid's Studio with sound engineer Bunny 'Striker' Lee where Cole performed the song with saxophonist Lester Sterling and keyboard player Lloyd Charmers.

Death

Cole died at University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston, on 11 June 2026, aged 83.

Albums

"Forward" in the Land of Sunshine (1976), Ron Lew
The First Ten Years (1978), Various Artists, Camelot
Capture Land (1978), with Chalawa, Green Weenie
The Patriot (1982), Stranger Cole
No More Fussing and Fighting (1986), Scorcher
Dramatic (2003), Stranger Cole & King Banana
Bangarang (the Best of) (2003), Trojan
Morning Train (2006), Jah Shaka Music
Fabulous Songs of Miss Sonia Pottinger Vol.1 (2008), Drum&Bass (Queen Patsy & Stranger Cole)
Ska 1959 – 1969, Stranger Cole
Hice Gold, Wacam
Storybook Revisited, Stranger Cole ( 2019)