Representative Albums: "Collection," "Live...He's Right on Time," "Oh, the Lamb"
Representative Songs: "More Like Jesus," "Don't Give up on Jesus," "Beyond the Veil"
Biography
Born in San Francisco, Coley grew up on jazz music and learned to play clarinet and piano. He played keyboards for The Hawkins Family from 1977 until he left to collaborate with James Cleveland in 1983. Later he worked with jazz artists Nancy Wilson and Rodney Franklin and pop singer Philip Bailey. ~ Bil Carpenter, All Music Guide
A native of California, Coley was born in Berkeley, California in 1955 and raised in Oakland, California where he spent the bulk of his developmental years influenced equally by his upbringing in the African-American church and his vocalist mother's love for Gospel, classical and jazz music. In his teenage years, he went through vocal and instrumental training (learning clarinet and teaching himself piano) in school bands and regional choirs up until 1977, when Coley went on to perform with the Hawkins Family. As a singer with Edwin Hawkins and later a songwriter and musical director for Tramaine Hawkins, he also played keyboards for The Hawkins Family from 1977 until he left to collaborate with James Cleveland in 1983. Later he worked with jazz artists Nancy Wilson and Rodney Franklin and pop singer Philip Bailey.