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Birth Name: Paula Dorothy Cole
Place of Birth: Rockport, Massachusetts, U.S.
Date of Birth: April 5, 1968
Ethnicity: *50% Northern Irish/Irish *25% Italian *25% Polish
Paula Cole is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her songs “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” and “I Don’t Want to Wait.”
She is the daughter of Helen and Everett James Cole. She has a daughter with her former husband, Moroccan musician Hassan Hakmoun .
She is also said to have Swedish, English, and Native American ancestry. It does not appear that this is accurate.
Paula’s paternal grandfather was James Cole (the son of Robert Henry Cole and Sarah Ann Riddle). James was born in Massachusetts. Robert was born in County Armagh, Northern Ireland, the son of James Cole and Ann “Annie” Skeith. Sarah was either born in Ireland or Northern Ireland, the daughter of James Riddle and Eliza.
Paula’s paternal grandmother was named Mary Jane “Minnie” Magowan. Mary Jane was a Northern Irish immigrant.
Paula’s maternal grandfather was named Michael DeSimone. Michael was an Italian emigrant, from Torremaggiore.
Paula’s maternal grandmother was named Antonia Bartnik. Antonia was a Polish immigrant.
Each of Paula’s grandparents was born in a different country, something that is fairly rare. Actors Remy Auberjonois , Hart Bochner , Raymond Cham, Jr. , Noah Emmerich , Lily James , Adam Korson , Stephen Lang , Jessica Lange , Logan Lerman , Robert Morley , Brett Pierce , Ben Rosenfield , Andy Samberg , and Wallace Shawn , filmmaker John G. Avildsen , musicians Tom Cochrane , Alex Pall , and Jeff Stinco , professional baseball player Bob Feller , politicians Nick Clegg and Ricardo Maduro , Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and Pope Leo XIV , are others whose grandparents were born in four individual countries.
Sources: Birth record of Paula’s paternal grandfather, James Cole – https://familysearch.org
Marriage record of Paula’s paternal great-grandparents, Robert Henry Cole and Sarah Ann Riddle – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Paula’s mother – http://www.legacy.com