Billy Cole

Billy Cole (born October 26, 1936, in Shorttrack/“Short Track,” New York) was an American country radio broadcaster whose on-air career spanned about four decades, beginning with an early stint at Greenland Air Force Base in Sondestrom, Greenland. He later worked as an air personality and/or music director at numerous stations around the U.S., including WSM in Nashville and WHO Radio in Iowa, and he retired from country radio in April 2000. (CRS)

In addition to broadcasting, Cole recorded as a country singer for labels including Chart, Mega, Volunteer, and Twin Town, with sessions produced by Pete Drake and Waylon Jennings. As a songwriter, his work (including “Homesick”) was recorded by artists such as Stonewall Jackson and Webb Pierce, and he was inducted (2002) into the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame recognized by Country Radio Seminar. Cole died March 8, 2007, at age 70, in Des Moines, Iowa. (CRS)