Young Texas musician taking industry by ‘red dirt’ storm

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

With dark curls and a smooth voice, 17-year-old Johnny Cooper of Wichita Falls finds it’s not only his song-writing and guitar-playing abilities that enthrall the crowds. Cooper says his music is “a little country mixed with some rock.” -- Staff photo by Montgomery

Dec. 15, 2005 - A young musician is taking Texas by a dust storm ... a red dirt storm.

Seventeen-year-old Johnny Cooper is not a traditional country artist, nor is he a rock artist. He calls his music “Texas Red Dirt Country” which is “a little country mixed with some rock.”

One thing he does have going for him is a strong backing from the Texas FFA. 

�I have had lots of hits from the Texas FFA,� he said. He attributes about 60 percent of contacts through his link on the organization�s website.

�� Cooper is the only musician who is currently advertising on the collaborative knowledge network, a project of the Texas FFA Foundation which includes over 400 websites statewide and at the local level.�

�� Aaron Alejandro with the Texas FFA Foundation said because of �Johnny�s success,� inquiries have been made from other country artists, including an upcoming act and one already established act.�

�� The Texas FFA has also stood behind the teenager, inviting him to perform at several annual FFA conventions across the state.�

�The coolest thing was playing at the Texas FFA convention. There is nothing cooler than seeing people singing your songs,� Cooper said.

�Your songs� are key words. Cooper, along with his dad Jimmy, have written the majority of the songs that he performs. On his first CD, six of the 12 songs were written by the son/father duo. Even though he is young, Cooper writes from experience and personal reflection.�

With lyrics such as “What do you do when the rain comes down? To me it seems like there’s no one around. This Texas dirt seems to suck it all down. What do you do when the rain comes down?” Cooper’s intent is to make one stop and think.

On his first record, simply entitled “Johnny Cooper ... Live at the Pub,” Cooper recorded his rendition of two legendary songs — “Folsom Prison” and “Never Been to Spain” by Johnny Cash and Hoyt Axton, respectively. Another song was written by a good friend, Cody Canada, who inspired him to go into the music business. Many know Canada as part of the group Cross Canadian Ragweed. 

Cooper is expected to begin recording a second album in February with hopes of having it released by April or May. Mike McClure will produce this album.

���� The curly haired, brown-eyed musician, with his trademark backward-turned cap, is still new to the music scene. His �first gig� was in February 2004 at a Denton pizza bar. Since then he has opened for the Great Divide, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Gary P. Nunn, Kevin Fowler, Trick Pony, and LeAnn Rimes just to name a few well-known country groups and artists.

Playing the guitar is fairly new, too, for the musician, and he offers this advice for those wanting to learn.

�I picked up the guitar about two months before the first show. If you can pass the first month of playing guitar, you will continue.�

Cooper has been around music and entertainment all of his life. While growing up, his dad Jimmy had his own band and mom Cindy was a dancer/instructor. The talent passed to their son.

�We didn�t even know he could sing. He did the sport thing and got involved with the (acappela) choir. One day he told us he needed to be dropped off at the school for a choir thing. We just thought he was practicing, not knowing he was in a competition. We didn�t know until we went to pick him up. We got there and they were announcing winners and he won. It was a shock,� Cindy said.�

Cooper’s music is enjoyed by not only young people but those young at heart. He has a big following from people of all ages. Not only is he talented, but his band, who totally supports and believes that Cooper will succeed, has been performing around the Wichita Falls area for a number of years. 

For 17 years, AA Bottom (an antonym of ZZ Top) played around the area. The band consisting of members Jason Brown, Dean Faulkner, Buddy Suggs, and Gary Howard, have since dropped their name and are now know as just “Johnny Cooper.”

With feet firmly planted on the red dirt of North Texas, Cooper said he plans to continue his music career, and hopes to “see ya’ll down the road.”

To hear some Texas Red Dirt Country, log on to www.johnnycooper.com