Home Boy & the C.O.L. - Home Boy & The C.O.L.

Cecil Johnson Lyde Holden aka "Home Boy" (born 1948) is an artist whose musical talent has been unmistakable since his days as a young boy. Growing up listening to his parents 78 RPM Doo-wop, Blues, Jazz and Gospel records, he started signing in church when he was 6 years old. At the age of 10, his mother took him to the famous Club DeLisa (Chicago's celebrated night spot) and entered him in a talent contest where he won first price singing "Only You" by The Platters. This key-event had sparked a burning desire and a love for music in Cecil that would never leave him... it created an opportunity for him to become an entertainer and recording artist. Flash forward to the 1960's when he met Mr. Otis Leavill who was one of the leading figures in the Chicago Soul scene. Leavill was already a well-established recording artist, producer, recording studio co-owner and talent scout (he discovered Yvette Stevens aka 'Chaka Khan'). Guided by his now mentor, Cecil was exposed to professional studio recording work and productions. He began to work with Otis' roster of artists, developing his own songwriting skills and musical style in the process. Later he started working with many of Chicago's great musical talents of the time: Curtis Mayfield, The Chi-Lites, Major Lance, Gene Chandler, Barbara Acklin... and countless others. Cecil Lyde helped recording songs for Chess, Brunswick and St. Lawrence Records. Sadly, by the early 1970's Chicago's famous "Record Row" (the area where all the independent record companies were located) started to close down and as a result many bands broke up. Not discouraged by the closing of "Record Row", Cecil and some of his childhood singing buddies (under the name of Experience II) landed a production deal and found themselves signed to Capitol Records in 1973. The single 'Bout Time I Told You Baby' was well received and became a hit. Later on Cecil Lyde, Bruce Fisher and Rick Giles formed the group 'Lyde, Fisher & Giles' aka 'Stone Free' who released a privately pressed (and now very rare) promo 7inch titled 'Serve Me Right To Suffer'... but before the band could fully materialize, Bruce Fisher left the group and went on to write songs for Quincy Jones and Bernard Purdie. Rick Giles also went his separate way to write hits for Earth, Wind & Fire. As a result of all these tumultuous Chicago events, Cecil was convinced he needed to take the next step and make the move to Los Angeles. It was here that he recorded/produced his first solo album "Stone Free" (1980) and put the genius of many of LA's finest session players to good use on his two magnus-opus recordings "Home Boy And The C.O.L. (the cost of living)" & "Out Break" (both released in 1982 and 1984 respectively).