John Cooper is an American musician, vocalist and bassist for the Christian band Skillet. Since the founding of the group, Cooper is the only one remaining from the original line-up. The collective has been repeatedly nominated for a Grammy.
The full name of the singer and musician is John Landrum Cooper. In the rock band Skillet, he plays bass and has been singing since 1996.
Searching for a vocation
The biography of the talented performer began in 1975. The future famous vocalist was born on April 7 in Memphis.
The boy began to master the guitar early. As a child, he already tried to write songs. The boy from the fifth grade listened to the compositions "Petra". The Cooper family was religious. Rock music was not encouraged in it. John had a very difficult time defending his own interests.
However, he managed to insist on his own. He was allowed to listen to rock, but the performers must be exclusively Christian. This condition was fulfilled by the teams "Russ Taff" and "Amy Grant". Cooper acquired his first disc of non-Christian singers after he came of age.
John became a member of the Seraph group at fourteen. The team mainly played covers. After releasing 4 singles, the collective ceased to exist. At fifteen, the teenager entered his first music team. The Tribulation group was founded at the church parish at the suggestion of a local priest. He offered to recruit members to John himself, as well as record a demo. Cooper was not embarrassed that he became the youngest in the new team.
Group
The guy decided to make his old dream come true. To conquer the musical Olympus, a favorite rock was chosen. Family education was not in vain. The guys decided to play Christian rock. The vocals of Kurt Cobain, Cooper's idol, were taken as a sample.
The new team received a very non-standard name. Translated in English "skillet" means "frying pan". This name expressed a mixture of various musical styles. John is sure that the choice causes displeasure among all participants to this day. But the variant expresses the essence of the group perfectly.
In 1996-1998 the first albums "Hey you" and "Skillet" were released. The audience quickly drew attention to ordinary guys, who did their best to imitate the already famous "Nirvana", but at the same time they were completely different.
At the very beginning of the activity, all compositions were written in post-grunge style. Then it was replaced by industrial metal and alternative rock. How the Grunge style began to lose popularity. The search for new options began. Each member of the band had their own musical preferences, therefore the first disc came out very diverse. However, by the second time it became clear to everyone in what direction the work should be carried out.
Confession
The image of the musicians has changed over time. Shapeless clothes and matted hair were transformed into neatly curled curls, tight sparkling leggings and shiny platform boots. Viewers saw this image during performances with Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson. However, soon the fans had to get used to changing the style of their idols again.
This time the guys preferred ordinary hairstyles, sweaters and jeans. Only Cooper's leather jacket has not undergone any changes. "Skillet" managed to dispel the familiar images of rock musicians. The team has existed for over two decades. The participants are confident of success and do not stop their artistic searches.
In 1998, the band went on a tour of European cities for the first time. During that time, John's future wife Corey, who played keyboards and rhythm guitar, joined the company. By the time of their accidental first meeting, the future husband had already been playing in the group for seven years.
By 2002, the team had already won several awards and was nominated for prestigious awards. Gradually, the musicians gained popularity outside the country. The media drew attention to the newcomers.
The band members learned that they sound much better at concerts, they eat on records. This quickly became a hallmark of the collective. She became the impetus for recording a live album.
The team is developing successfully, giving concerts a lot. The musicians have taken their own niche in the world rock arena.
Family and work
In 2004, the team's new disc was nominated for a Grammy. In addition to John and Corey, the group includes Seth Morrison, who plays lead guitar, Jen Lager, drummer. At one of the concerts, Cooper played drums, Ledger was the soloist.
The personal life of the guitarist and singer was happily settled. Together with his chosen one, he plays in a group. After the official ceremony, the newlyweds decided to make tattoos on their fingers instead of rings. The first child appeared in the family in 2002 - daughter Alexandria. The couple's son Xavier was born in 2005.
Cooper is named "Doggy" on the team. Under it, he is often mentioned in the group's podcasts and on the radio. The musician loves the ballads of the eighties. He is sure that composition in this genre is a must for a good rock band.
John is crazy about Dr. Pepper soda. The second guitarist, due to Cooper's habit of often drinking his favorite drink, calls his friend a real connoisseur of soda.
The guitarist collects posters of Batman and Spiderman. He hates the feeling of grains of sand stuck to his feet, and therefore wears special shoes even on the beach.
New plans
In the family of John and Corey - complete harmony. For several months, the girl learned to play the synthesizer and guitar, so as not to part with the chosen one. While waiting for the second baby, Corey was replaced by session guitarists.
In an interview in 2010, Cooper mentioned that he did not expect the band to last that long on stage. He had no idea that he could become a "musical long-liver."
Cooper never uses a pick when playing bass. This attachment is only used for an acoustic instrument. In addition, the musician plays keyboards.
As a vocalist, the musician took part in "Hero: The Rock Opera", performed the part of Rabbi Kai for the soundtrack. Did not participate in the tour. John also sang the song "Zombie" with the band "We As Human". Also with Cooper, the song "Best I Can" was created for the group "Decyfer Down".
In 2018, a single was released, recorded with the "Fight The Fury" team "My Demons", created together with Seth Morrison. The band released their debut EP, Still Breathing, by the end of October. It peaked at number one on Billboard Heatseekers Albums.
