Richard Cole was an English music manager, who was involved in the rock music business from the mid-1960s to 2003.
23 Facts About Richard Cole
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Richard Cole is most known for having been the tour manager of English rock band Led Zeppelin from 1968 to 1980.
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Richard Cole's father was an architect who worked for Rolls-Royce vehicle design, and later in aircraft assembly during World War II.
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At the age of 12, Richard Cole became interested in music after hearing Elvis Presley and The Everly Brothers.
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Richard Cole left school aged 15, and from his first job, working at a dairy factory in Acton, earned enough money to purchase a drumkit, on which he practiced along with Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa records.
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The low wages forced Richard Cole to take up an apprenticeship in sheet-metal working whilst working as a scaffolder on construction sites.
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Richard Cole was very interested in the fashion industry, at one point harbouring plans to be a fashion designer, and he claimed to have designed the shirts worn by John Lennon and Ringo Starr on the Revolver album cover, and to have contributed to the album's graphics.
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In 1967 Richard Cole moved to the United States and worked for Vanilla Fudge as a sound engineer.
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Richard Cole was one of the first tour managers to specialise in the American tours of English bands.
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On 23 December 1968, Richard Cole booked Led Zeppelin into the Chateau Marmont on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles and later at the nearby Continental Hyatt House, known as "The Riot House".
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Richard Cole was responsible for introducing groupies, some of whom he had known on previous tours with The Yardbirds and The Who, to members of the band.
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Richard Cole was responsible for collecting box office takings and keeping receipts on behalf of the band for Led Zeppelin concert tours.
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The police at first suspected Richard Cole as being responsible for the theft.
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Richard Cole was entrusted with the key to the safe deposit box at the time of the theft and he was the first person at the scene to discover that the money was unaccounted for.
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Richard Cole took a lie detector test and was cleared of any involvement.
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In 1977, manager Peter Grant gave his approval for Richard Cole to hire John Bindon to act as security co-ordinator for the band's concert tour of the United States.
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Whilst tour manager for Led Zeppelin, Richard Cole developed substance abuse problems.
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Richard Cole was fired from his position as road manager for Led Zeppelin's final concert tour of Europe in 1980 because Peter Grant was concerned about his drug and alcohol abuse, and was replaced by Phil Carlo.
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Richard Cole claimed he was only paid $1250 by Davis for his revelations, which make up a large proportion of the book.
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Richard Cole's book raised the ire of Jimmy Page, who once commented:.
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There's a book written by our former road manager, Richard Cole that has made me completely ill.
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Richard Cole died at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 2 December 2021, at the age of 75 after a battle with cancer.
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Richard Cole can be seen in several scenes of Led Zeppelin's concert film, The Song Remains the Same.