We are happy to announce that Johnny Cooper will be the Main Stage headliner for El Reno’s Fried Onion Burger Day on May 5, 2012! Check out his music and like him on Facebook too.
Here’s a bit about Johnny and the band:
Johnny Cooper, at the age of 23, has accomplished more than many musicians twice his age. Having recorded two critically-acclaimed, full-length studio albums (and another in the works) and not one, but two live albums under his belt – the total album sales of which have eclipsed 50,000 – Johnny Cooper’s career trajectory cannot be stopped. He recently had two songs included on the soundtrack for the independent movie, Deep In The Heart, which also includes tracks from Charlie Daniels, Larry Gatlin, Wade Bowen, and others. Riding high on the success of 2007’s Ignition – which, alone, has sold over 25,000 copies – and 2009’s Follow, Johnny Cooper now releases Live At The Pub II, a collection of songs that his band recorded live, over the course of two nights, to some of their most devoted fans.
It seems to have been written in the proverbial stars that Johnny Cooper would dedicate his life to performing and entertaining crowds. He was raised by a self-starting, go-getter mother, who started her own dance company at the young age of 18, and a dedicated father who played in bands and made music throughout his 20s, and in whose footsteps Johnny closely follows. Since birth, Cooper has been immersed in music of all kinds, and encouraged to pursue his dream.
The lines between family, fans, and band all blur for Johnny Cooper, which has been a blessing for the young artist and has played a large (and genuine) role in his success, thus far. When asked about his relationships with the musicians with whom Cooper shares the stage night after night, he says, “We’re all really close friends. I grew up with them. The lead guitarist [Ben Shaw] and bass player [Cody Shaw] are actually father and son. I met them when I was 13 or 14 years old in Wichita Falls [Texas]. We started jamming together when I was about 16 and we became an official band by the time I was 18. There are multiple families involved in our band.” Cooper’s band also features keyboardist Nick Ghanbari and dummer Joe Cortez IV.
Close relationships do not end at the stage for Johnny Cooper and his band, who believe that their fans need to feel as if they can approach them and connect with them. “Right after every set, I head straight to the merch table and give fans the opportunity to relate to us, face-to-face. Pictures, autographs, quick conversations – or long ones; we all breathe the same air. They are spending their hard-earned money to come see you play, and then they spend even more of it on merch. I owe them my time to thank them, face-to-face.” The connection with fans continues beyond the band’s tour dates, thanks to Cooper’s personal Facebook, fan page, and his Twitter account – which is more personal and informational in regards to performances and band news. His social networks have the membership of over 60,000 fans, and have generated over one million page views and two million+ song plays. “I’m excited to use technology to connect with fans. I want them to feel like they are friends, too. I want to reach out to fans. I don’t want them to be strangers.”
Live At The Pub II is the perfect culmination of Johnny Cooper’s values and his last couple of years on the road, growing with his band mates and creating music. The album features 2 discs, 24 tracks that continuously blur the lines between genres from one guitar lick to the next. Keeping with Cooper’s genuine spirit and inclusive attitude toward his fans, Live At The Pub II was created with the intention of making fans feel as if they are in the intimate presence of the band, in the moment, face-to-face. Cooper says, of Live At The Pub II, “I want them [fans] to feel like they understand the journey we have been on. I want them to feel like they are right there with us.”
