David Byron Cole (June 3, 1962 – January 24, 1995) was an American record producer. He was one half of the dance music duo C+C Music Factory, which he founded with his musical partner Robert Clivillés.
Clivillés and Cole also produced various hits for other artists such as Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, Deborah Cooper, Whitney Houston, and many others. After Cole's death in 1995, Robert Clivillés continued to keep C+C Music Factory going through his own production work.
Biography Career Cole was a keyboardist in a Tennessee church choir, and in the 1980s, he performed at the New York City nightclub Better Days. Robert Clivillés was a resident DJ there, and the two became friends. At the end of the decade, the two were active in the dance music acts 2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican and the 28th Street Crew,Chep Nuñez, Discogs28th Street Crew, The, Discogs and they produced the short-lived duo the Brat Pack.Brat Pack, The, Discogs Cole also released the solo single "You Take My Breath Away" in 1988.David Cole, Discogs Together with Clivillés, he was responsible for the formation of the pop group Seduction. They contributed to the career of former Weather Girls singer Martha Wash, who at the same time was one of the lead vocalists for the dance act Black Box. The duo's biggest success, however, was C+C Music Factory, founded in 1989.C+C Music Factory/Full Biography, MTV Also in 1989, Clivillés and Cole released a single under the moniker the Crew, titled "Get Dumb! (Free Your Body)", featuring later C+C Music Factory rapper Freedom Williams.Crew, the Featuring Freedom Williams – Get Dumb! (Free Your Body), Discogs
Copyright lawsuits 1990, Clivillés and Cole were sued for copyright infringement by Boyd Jarvis, who claimed that they illegally sampled portions of his song "The Music Got Me" in their track "Get Dumb! (Free Your Body)", for which he demanded $15 million in royalties.Jarvis v. A & M Records 827 F. Supp. 282 (D.N.J. 1993) UCLA
Four years later, Kevin McCord filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Mariah Carey, Cole, Clivillés, and Columbia Records, for allegedly using parts of his song "I Want to Thank You" in the track "Make It Happen" without his permission. Although the allegations were proven false, McCord eventually accepted a settlement offer of about US$500,000.
Death Cole died on January 24, 1995, after a long illness.C+C Music Factory's David Cole Succumbs, Jet, February 13, 1995 (page 18)C+C Music Factory's David Cole Dies At 32, Billboard, February 4, 1995 (page 9) The official cause was given as complications from spinal meningitis,"C+C's David Cole dies at 32" NY Daily News, January 25, 1995 though some members of the music community speculated that he died of complications from AIDS; no proof exists of this.Robert Clivillés keeps on working, for David, Billboard (March 4, 1995) (page 31)
Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men wrote the 1995 song "One Sweet Day" in Cole's memory.The ultimate 90 Mariah Carey, VIBE (November 2007)
Discography Solo "You Take My Breath Away" (single) (1988)
with 2 Puerto Ricans, a Blackman and a Dominican "Do It Properly" (single) (1987) "Scandalous" (single) (1989)
with the 28th Street Crew I Need a Rhythm (1989) "O" (1994)
with the Crew "Get Dumb! (Free Your Body) (feat. Freedom Williams)" (single) (1990)
with C+C Music Factory Year Album details Peak chart positions Certifications(sales threshold) US US R&B AUS AUT NL NZ SWE SWI UK 1990 Gonna Make You Sweat First studio album Release date: December 13, 1990 Label: Columbia 2 11 7 26 59 3 30 13 8 RIAA: 5× Platinum BPI: Gold MC: 4× Platinum 1994 Anything Goes! Second studio album Release date: August 9, 1994 Label: Columbia 106 39 36 — 63 25 — 46 — "—" denotes releases that did not chart
Other releases Greatest Remixes Vol. 1 (as Clivillés + Cole) (1992)
References
External links MTV announcement of David Cole's passing (video)