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Jools Cooper was born in Hertford, England, November 30th 1958.
Both parents were musicians, and during infancy he recalls them
giving music lessons at home so therefore it was no surprise
when he began playing the piano at around four years old.
Growing up in the sixties watching the Rolling Stones on 'Ready
Steady Go' and early 'Top of the Pops' it was perhaps inevitable
that he should take up the guitar. Although his parents insisted
on a classical training it was the electric guitar that beckoned
'My dad brought home a copy of 'It's All Over Now' by the Rolling
Stones and after that I guess I just wanted to be Keith
Richards!'
Going through various different school bands ended with his
band. Frakah winning the London heat of the Melody Maker 'Folk
Rock' contest. In the same year, 1976 he found himself commuting
into London with sound engineer Brian Humphries to the Britannia
Row recording studio, where Pink Floyd were recording the album
'Animals' 'Brian insisted that I took my guitar with me, David
Gilmour was so patient answering my many questions and gave me
some great advice, I suppose he became a mentor for me after
that'.
Jools then went on to work with many top artists in London
recording studio's as well as on tour among those are; Uriah
Heep (4 LPs), Motorhead (including Ace of Spades), Hawkwind (2
LPs), The Real Thing, Cliff Richard (single We Don't Talk Any
more), YES (Drama), Slade, AC/DC, Osibisa, Paul Young and Leo
Sayer.
Jools went to live in Spain in the 1980's and eventually formed
The Rockets along with drummer Geoff Britton (ex Wings and
Manfred Mann's Earth Band) and bassist Steve Emery (ex Stretch
and Eric Clapton). Emery quit to join top Spanish band Revolver
in 1997 and the band continued to early 2000 with ex Robert
Palmer bassist Derek Gill.
During the nineties Jools also worked as a session player, and
his guitar playing could frequently be heard on the radio on
records by a number of different Spanish artists. He was also
guitarist, songwriter and co-producer of Spanish rock band "Io"
who in Jools opinion were "The greatest Spanish band never to
have made it!"
After a two and half year spell with Jools Cooper's Bad Habit Band, releasing
the CD En Vivo, The Rockets reformed with Humble Pie bassist
Greg Ridley until Greg's untimely death in November 2003. The Rockets then continued
with ex Lindisfarne bassist Tommy Duffy until the return of Steve
Emery in 2007. (see Rockets page for band biography)
Jools lives in Benitachell, a small town in
Alicante province on Spain's east coast. Apart fron working all over
Spain with The Rockets, he regularly plays solo gigs in small
venues close to home and has done so since 1999 when he began
performing Monday nights in Rustys, Benitchell.
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