A seasoned vocalist, well-established songwriter, and talented musician, Sebastian Kole, now venturing into the country music genre under his new persona "Pynk Beard," is still surprised by his most recent triumph -- a third Grammy, earned at the 2025 award ceremony for his contributions as a songwriter on the Alicia Keys project "Hell's Kitchen" for Best Musical Theater Album.

For the album, he wrote "Perfect Way to Die" and had no idea that it even was nominated. Surprised and pleased, Kole told The Birmingham Times, "This Grammy Award felt different because it was totally unexpected."

While pleased with the award, Kole said now is the time to come from "behind the scenes."

"I want to be the face," he said. "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."

After a sold-out listening party, held recently in the Pearl River Club Lounge at Birmingham's Regions Field, Kole reflected on his journey. (By the way, he is planning an encore performance at the newly renovated WorkPlay event venue on May 9 and working on a distribution deal that will get his 14-song album, "Sugar and Salt," into the hands of fans.)

"Why Country Music?"

Sporting a Buc-ee's T-shirt, gold chains, and his signature pink beard, dyed because of a friend's encouragement, Kole's Pynk Beard persona represents an evolution of his artistry. Asked "Why country music?" the artist simply 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 said. "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 won his Grammy the same night megastar Beyoncé became the first Black artist to win the Grammy for Best Country Album and Album of the Year for "Cowboy Carter." There's more than just Beyoncé and Kole in the genre -- there's also the Grammy-nominated Shaboozey, whose "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" topped music charts worldwide in 2024, and local talents 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 continued. "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 potential detractors within the country music genre who might question his presence, he said, "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 journey began in Dolomite, Alabama, a small unincorporated area in Jefferson County adjacent to Hueytown. Once a booming mining town, Dolomite is now a quiet neighborhood, one for which the Grammy-winning artist has fond memories, particularly about his humble beginnings.

His grandfather and father worked at the nearby steel mill, and he recalled a childhood filled with the freedom of playing in the streets and a time when economic status was never a concern.

"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 much of his success to the encouragement of his family, friends, and church, as well as his teachers at Epic Elementary, William James Christian Middle, and Ramsay High schools.

"If it weren't for [Myrna Ria Ross, a teacher at Ramsay], I wouldn't have graduated," he admits.

Even though Kole could have been labeled as a troubled kid in school, educators and others recognized his talents and encouraged him to practice daily.

Kole literally grew up in church, and the soulful undertones of the church are unmistakable in his music and in his deep, soul-stirring voice that he likens to a transmission. He credits Greater Emmanuel Temple for nurturing his vocal skills and songwriting abilities. It was there, in his early years, that he first wrote songs for the choir to sing on Sundays, as the pastor did not allow songs that were not written by his congregation.

Both of his parents were pastors, as well, and he and his mother, Bernadine Birdsong (owner of Michael's Restaurant at downtown Birmingham's Negro Southern League Museum), would make up songs around the house.

(A fun fact: Kole also was once part of a Christian rap group that included fellow Birminghamian Snipe Young who earned Grammy victories this month in four major categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Music Video, and Best Rap Performance.)

Kole's songwriting journey took off after his first song was sold and then published by his good friend, Eric Matthews. He was then intrigued at the thought of making a living by writing songs: "I didn't know that such a career even existed."

He secured a songwriting credit in 2012 for "Goin' In," a song performed by multihyphenate artist Jennifer Lopez and featuring rapper FloRida that was included on the "Step Up: Revolution" movie soundtrack. With the proceedings from that, he flew to California, signed to Motown Records, and eventually penned songs for artists like Alessia Cara, who won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist in 2018. He also has written hits for John Legend, Brandy, and Alicia Keys.

Kole received his first Grammy as songwriter on the soundtrack for the drama "The United States vs. Billie Holliday," which starred Andra Day and won the Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media in 2022. His second Grammy win came as songwriter for the song "Actions" on Legend's album "Bigger Love," which won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album in 2021. His third Grammy came after he met Keys through his publisher and was subsequently flown to New York to work on her project for a week.

"Something in This for Everyone"

While Kole remains committed to writing for others, he is equally dedicated to pushing his new album, "Sugar and Salt," as Pynk Beard.

"[Writing and performing are] two completely different skill sets," he explained. "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 recent listening party brought together a wide range of people and age groups.

"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 told The Birmingham Times. "It's real and it's genuine. There is something in this."

Kole's current project contains tracks that were teased heavily online through social media platforms -- ultimately, going viral in a few days' time. So, it was not surprising that people of all ages attending the Regions Field event already knew the catchy tunes and had already practiced the line dances for the show.

"I don't do it for the awards; I do it for the hearts," Kole said. "I want to remind people about where they are from."