Samuel Cooper

I think I flew under the radar for the most part. Most of my school activity revolved around being a part of the cadet band as a trumpet player...that got me out of phys ed. My legitimate extracurricular activities involved being a member of A.Z.A., a Jewish fraternal organization. Only a few people know that all along, I was also playing guitar. In my mind, I was quite forgettable in those days...even I've forgotten (or repressed) a lot of memories from the years leading into the early 70's. I had two best friends, both in the band at school. I wasn't a social butterfly or a hunk or a brain. In reflection, I don't know that I actually had any noble ambitions back then. Over the subsequent years of my adult life, upon leaving Richmond at 19, I've gotten involved (by accident) in music full-time and learned a lot by way of the school of hard knocks without any long-term mentors, something I never actually got the encouragement for as a kid. I'm thinking I was pretty naive and may still be, but, despite that, I've landed on my feet with a wealth of happiness

I'm happily ensconced in music and totally in love with my wife. Also totally proud of my three sons and her son and his wife.

My road led me out of Richmond at the beginning of 72, dropping out of my sophomore year at VCU. I spent the next 34 years in NJ, where I accidentally got in a band and became a professional musician for life. The club scene in NJ was amazing and some of the acts blew away the recording acts they covered. Getting to play with these amazing people led me to being an active songwriter, a music journalist, a recording engineer, a live p.a. mixer and a booking agent. The experiences were supplemented by day jobs, especially when I married in 86 and started making babies with my first wife in 87. That marriage ended, but, luckily, I met the love of my life and got married again, this time to her. I continued my adventures in music while she maintained her career.

In 2006, about 6 months after my father passed away, I discovered Nashville. It was a no-brainer for me that I belonged there. My relocation was almost instant, but because of her career, it took about 7 years for my wife to also fully relocate, so we did the long-distance thing that whole time. Meanwhile, I had gotten into accumulating my home recording studio setup and being active in the songwriting community. Over the decades, before and since moving to Nashville, I've been fortunate to work with a lot of great, talented and interesting people, but no name-dropping here. I have "retired" from performing live, at least for the time being, but I still write and record on my own, often playing most or all of the instruments on my productions. My music spans rock, Americana, funk, blues, jazz, country, classic soul, adult contemporary and just about anything that I fell in love with listening to WLEE and WGOE in Richmond back in the 60s and early 70s. If you want to hear a good cross-section of stuff I've been involved with for free, check out over 200 recordings at www.jericat.com/songs. There is also www.reverbnation.com/samcooperjericatmusic/songs.