Paula Cole has won Grammy Awards and played sold-out arenas, and she is returning to Cotuit Center for the Arts for a memorable night of smash hits like “I Don’t Want to Wait” and “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” She’s touring in support of her newest record, Ballads, which features American jazz and roots standards from the early to mid-20th century, honoring such greats as Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, John Coltrane, Bob Dylan, Bessie Smith, Bobbie Gentry, Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis and Johnny Cash.

Cole was born and raised in Rockport, Massachusetts, the daughter of an amateur musician and a visual artist. After studying at Berklee College of Music, Cole got her big break opening for Peter Gabriel’s 1992-93 world tour. Record labels soon came calling and Cole found herself in the middle of a rising trend in female-driven rock and pop artists, which came to a head with her starring role in Sarah McLachlan’s Lilith Fair tour. While never reaching the commercial heights of her platinum-selling, Grammy-winning sophomore record This Fire, Cole’s subsequent albums continued to scale artistic heights. Cole’s sound has broadened in recent years, the songwriter delving into jazz, electronica and contemporary pop, but her stunning voice and melodic gifts remain constant.