The Cole Brothers Band

Marilyn (Cole) Posey and her cousin Charlie Cole are the Slim Quinton Bluegrass/ Gospel Duo. They play throughout the counties of Braxton, Lewis and Gilmer. The family home on Three Lick remains the center of their activity. Marilyn tells us about her musical legacy.

My father, Harold Quinton Cole and my Uncles Alvin (Slim), Dana and Elzie all played music. They were what we call the old time back porch singers. They went from home to home and played till all hours of the night. The womenfolk got the easy job! Feeding all who attended.

My dad told me many years ago that hwhen he was only six years old he helped in a hayfield (yes, can you believe that at 6 years old) to buy the guitar for 50 cents. There was a dead tree that had fallen across the little creek on the Three Lick family property and he sat there in his bib overalls dangling his feet in the cool water and taught himself . He never could read music...he played by ear so to speak.


Above is the Cole Brothers Quartet. To the right are Harold Cole, cousin Clarence Dolan and Elzie Cole.

My dad and his brother Dana stayed with cousins in Gilmer County. The cousin dad was staying with always told my Dad and Uncle Dana that she would make ice cream for them on Saturday nights, if they would sing and play music for her and the rest of the family. So they did, every Saturday night.

There was a traveling talent show that came through Gilmer County every year, The Spaun Family Show. At this time my Dad (Harold Cole) was 14. Dad tried out every year and won the competition every year. The Spaun Family Show asked my father to travel with them across the United States and of course he declined but a few years later (16 yrs old), he did make a record.

In 1988 about 6 months after my father passed, I went to Weston to the Weston Dairy Mart. There was a woman working there and out of the blue she says to me, "Do you know a Harold Cole?" I said " yes mamm, he's my Dad." She said "you look just like him." She said "Come back tomorrow at 7 and I'll have something for you." Needless to say I couldn't wait till 7 the next evening. So I arrive at 7 and she hands me a paper bag. Before I opened it, she said "Your Dad and mine along with another fellow made this record when your Dad was just 16 years old". "There were only 2 copies and your dad gave me his. "I was about 5 years old at the time and I used to dance when your dad and my dad played music So being as young as your dad was and evidently didn't see the value of it then, gave it to me."

So she kept that record all these years and I now have it. I had a gentleman to take the scratches out the best he could and he put it on a CD for me. I value you that old black record and would turn down a 58 million lottery win just to keep it. I will pass it on to my grandchildren and so the story goes.