Old King Cole surname Coles) said his nickname was inspired by "Old King Cole". The "King" in Nat Cole's name was usually used in quotation marks during his lifetime, but today it is often seen as though it were part of his name. Cole Alexander of Atlanta punk band Black Lips has also adopted the name, and performs solo as Old King Cole Younger, a name also partially derived from Confederate guerilla and later Old West outlaw Cole Younger. The United States military has used versions of the traditional rhyme in the form of marching cadences, since at least the 1920s up to
Bob Cole (composer) Cole influenced the development of black musical theater. His skills in acting, writing, and directing were brought to the public eye through his early works: first, he produced the black musical “A Trip to Coontown”, where he joined alliance with Billy Johnson, followed by the production of popular songs such as “ Under the Bamboo Tree,” where he worked with J. Rosamond Johnson. As stated in Thomas L. Riis’ “‘Bob’ Cole: His Life and His Legacy to Black Musical Theater,” few details of Cole's life before the transition into the development of black musicals can be found in research materials,