St. Tammany News

In a historic 500-year-old France hotel, once rumored to be a favorite stop of King Louis XIV, a 14-inch high statue bearing the resemblance of Slidell piano virtuoso Ronnie Kole sits in side room beckoning to be seen by international travelers.

It's sandwiched between statues of other New Orleans musical legends such as Fats Domino, Al Hirt, Pete Fountain and Louis Armstrong, only to be discovered when guests pass the hotel's stone staircases and artesian wells. "I was blown away when I saw it," Kole said this week from his cell phone in Germany after performing a concert. "It was unbelievable. It looked just like me."

State Rep. Pete Schneider, R-Slidell, has honored Kole and the hotel near the Basilique Notre Dame Church in the wine capital of Burgundy in a resolution he recently authored. He praised the hotel's recognition of New Orleans music and the Kole statue.

"Hotel Le Cep merits a special measure of commendation for the joy it inspires in the lives of all who are fortunate to stay there and to experience its splendor," Schneider said. "Where figurines of jazz musicians top one of the tables and where Louisiana's world-renowned pianists Ronnie Kole plays the piano when he visits."

"It's really quite and honor," Kole said.

Kole first stayed at the hotel, registered as a historical landmark, 10 years ago while touring France and Germany. During his visit, the Bernard family, the hotel's owners, discovered Kole had played for several presidents, including Gerald Ford, and jammed with former President Bill Clinton on saxophone. They approached Cole and asked him to play. His schedule however, didn't allow it.

He joked that he'd play during another visit, "only if you have a piano for meet to practice on next time I'm around."

A year later, upon his return, Kole noticed the Bernards had removed a doorway and built another room. Sitting in the middle was a shiny grand piano bought from a tenant next door.

Kole, true to his word, sat down and belted out a few tunes. Since then, he's put the hotel on his touring stops, scheduled this year for a July 4 concert. The figurine was a small token of the family's thanks, they said in a statement.

"What can I say? I have to play there now," Kole said.