By means of Marika N. Johnson | For The Birmingham Occasions
A seasoned vocalist, well-established songwriter, and proficient musician, Sebastian Kole, now venturing into the rustic song style beneath his brandnew personality “Pynk Beard,” continues to be shocked via his most up-to-date triumph — a third Grammy, earned at the 2025 award ceremony this month for his contributions as a songwriter at the Alicia Keys venture “Hell’s Kitchen” for Best possible Musical Theater Copy.
For the magazine, he wrote “Perfect Way to Die” and had incorrect concept that it even used to be nominated. Shocked and happy, Kole instructed The Birmingham Occasions, “This Grammy Award felt different because it was totally unexpected.”
Moment proud of the award, Kole mentioned now could be the hour to come back from “behind the scenes.”
“I want to be the face,” he mentioned. “I’ve written for a lot of award-winning songs, but most times people don’t know what you’ve done [when] you’re a writer. This time I want to win and show my smile.”
Later a sold-out listening birthday celebration, held lately within the Pearl River Membership Living room at Birmingham’s Areas Ground, Kole mirrored on his travel. (By means of the best way, he’s making plans an encore efficiency on the newly renovated WorkPlay tournament venue on Might 9 and dealing on a distribution offer that can get his 14-song magazine, “Sugar and Salt,” into the palms of lovers.)
“Why Country Music?”
Wearing a Buc-ee’s T-shirt, gold chains, and his signature red beard, dyed as a result of a pal’s encouragement, Kole’s Pynk Beard personality represents an evolution of his artistry. Requested “Why country music?” the artist merely responds, “Why not?”
“I believe the human experience, especially the Southern experience, is amazing, and it should be documented by anyone who lives here. … Not all of us drive tractors or ride horses, or have rims or Cadillacs,” Kole mentioned. “It’s not just about rivers and creeks; it’s about avenues and boulevards. … All of that is country. It’s not a sound, it’s a culture — and cultures are multidimensional.”
He added, “You love country music, but you might not like country artists. … You might feel as if they are avoiding you, but you love country music. … What’s to hate about good melodies, good storytellin’, and good hooks?”
Kole gained his Grammy the similar night time superstar Beyoncé was the primary Dim artist to win the Grammy for Best possible Nation Copy and Copy of the Future for “Cowboy Carter.” There’s extra than simply Beyoncé and Kole within the style — there’s additionally the Grammy-nominated Shaboozey, whose “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” crowned song charts international in 2024, and native skills like Birmingham-Southern grad Jada Cato and Gardendale, Alabama, singer-songwriter Tiera Kennedy.
“[Black people have] been kicked out of so many types of music,” Kole persisted. “We once called rock and roll ‘home,’ we once called jazz ‘home,’ and then we were kicked out. … We are so disconnected from [the musical spaces] we once called ‘home’ and the music we started.”
Addressing attainable detractors inside the nation song style who may query his presence, he mentioned, “You’re not even what the house looks like! You’re not even from the neighborhood.”
“Didn’t Know if We Were Rich or Poor”
Kole’s travel started in Dolomite, Alabama, a tiny unincorporated segment in Jefferson County adjoining to Hueytown. As soon as a booming mining the town, Dolomite is now a peace group, one for which the Grammy-winning artist has fond reminiscences, specifically about his humble beginnings.
His grandfather and father labored on the within sight metal mill, and he recalled a early life full of the liberty of taking part in within the streets and a hour when financial condition used to be by no means a priority.
“As kids, we didn’t know if we were rich or poor. We were just a bunch of kids running around, playing. We were all family,” recalled Kole, who attributes a lot of his good fortune to the encouragement of his nation, buddies, and church, in addition to his lecturers at Epic Basic, William James Christian Center, and Ramsay Prime colleges.
“If it weren’t for [Myrna Ria Ross, a teacher at Ramsay], I wouldn’t have graduated,” he admits.
Despite the fact that Kole may have been categorised as a child at school, educators and others known his skills and inspired him to apply day-to-day.
Kole actually grew up in church, and the soulful undertones of the church are perceptible in his song and in his deep, soul-stirring tonality that he likens to a transmission. He credit Higher Emmanuel Temple for nurturing his vocal abilities and songwriting skills. It used to be there, in his early years, that he first wrote songs for the choir to sing on Sundays, because the pastor didn’t permit songs that weren’t written via his congregation.
Either one of his folks have been pastors, as nicely, and he and his mom, Bernadine Birdsong (owner of Michael’s Restaurant at downtown Birmingham’s Negro Southern League Museum), would manufacture up songs round the home.
(A amusing reality: Kole additionally used to be as soon as a part of a Christian rap workforce that integrated fellow Birminghamian Snipe Young who earned Grammy victories this month in four major categories: Report of the Future, Track of the Future, Best possible Track Video, and Best possible Rap Efficiency.)
Kole’s songwriting travel took off upcoming his first tune used to be offered and nearest revealed via his excellent pal, Eric Matthews. He used to be nearest intrigued on the considered getting cash via writing songs: “I didn’t know that such a career even existed.”
He attach a songwriting credit score in 2012 for “Goin’ In,” a tune carried out via multihyphenate artist Jennifer Lopez and that includes rapper FloRida that used to be integrated at the “Step Up: Revolution” film soundtrack. With the lawsuits from that, he flew to California, signed to Motown Information, and in the end penned songs for artists like Alessia Cara, who gained the Grammy Award for Best possible Fresh Artist in 2018. He additionally has written hits for John Legend, Brandy, and Alicia Keys.
Kole gained his first Grammy as songwriter at the soundtrack for the drama “The United States vs. Billie Holliday,” which starred Andra Month and gained the Grammy Award for Best possible Compilation Soundtrack for Sight Media in 2022. His 2nd Grammy win got here as songwriter for the tune “Actions” on Legend’s magazine “Bigger Love,” which gained the Grammy Award for Best possible R&B Copy in 2021. His 3rd Grammy got here upcoming he met Keys thru his writer and used to be therefore flown to Fresh York to paintings on her venture for a moment.
“Something in This for Everyone”
Moment Kole left-overs dedicated to writing for others, he’s similarly devoted to pushing his brandnew magazine, “Sugar and Salt,” as Pynk Beard.
“[Writing and performing are] two completely different skill sets,” he defined. “If you write a song well, no one should know you wrote it. It should sound like the artist’s own vocabulary. As a songwriter, I get to play ‘dress-up,’ and that’s fun. But onstage it just feels different.”
Kole shared how his contemporary listening birthday celebration introduced in combination a large length of crowd and past teams.
“A 70-year-old white lady and a 4-year-old Black boy having a good time … made me realize that there is something in this for everyone,” he instructed The Birmingham Occasions. “It’s real and it’s genuine. There is something in this.”
Kole’s stream venture incorporates tracks that have been teased closely on-line thru social media platforms — in the end, going viral in a couple of days’ hour. So, it used to be no longer sudden that crowd of every age attending the Areas Ground tournament already knew the catchy tunes and had already practiced the layout dances for the display.
“I don’t do it for the awards; I do it for the hearts,” Kole mentioned. “I want to remind people about where they are from.”
Sebastian “Pynk Beard” Kole will carry out on the newly renovated WorkPlay tournament venue (500 twenty third St. S., Birmingham, AL 35233) on Might 9, 2025. For more info, discuss with Kole one Fb (www.facebook.com/SebastianKole) and Instagram (www.instagram.com/SebastianKole).
