Interview with Jack Cooke, May 27, 2006

Partial Transcript: --seven.

Segment Synopsis: Jack Cooke is introduced. He gives a brief overview of his life and his career with the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys. He talks about how he began playing music during his childhood with his brothers.

Keywords: 1956; Bass players; Bassists; Brothers; Guitar players; Guitars; Norton (Va.); Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Families.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: I worked for Carter and Ralph about a year and a half...

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about leaving the Stanley Brothers to work for Bill Monroe. He talks about playing on the Grand Ole Opry, recording with Monroe, and being on the Johnny Cash tour.

Keywords: Auditions; Bill Monroe (Artist); Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (Artist); Cash, Johnny (Artist); Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Guitar players; Guitars; Johnny Cash (Artist); Johnny Cash Tour; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Nashville (Tenn.)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: And then you left him in 1960?

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about leaving Bill Monroe to play in the Washington, D.C. area in the 1960s with his band, Jack Cooke and the Virginia Mountain Boys.

Keywords: 1960; Baltimore (Md.); Earl Taylor (Artist); Jack Cooke and the Virginia Mountain Boys (Artist); Stoneman Family (Artist); Taylor, Earl (Artist); Television; Washington (D.C.)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: And, um, then did you come back to Virginia at some point?

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about returning home to Norton, Virginia to care for his ill mother. He returned to the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys in 1969.

Keywords: 1969; Mothers; Norton (Va.); Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Virginia

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Families.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: So, um, I want to, uh, uh, back up a little bit, uh, on, uh, your brother.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks more about his childhood playing music with his brothers. He talks about his brother's band, The Singing Cookes. He talks about walking to school, his family's musical abilities, and dropping out of school to begin his music career.

Keywords: Albums; Brothers; Careers; Clawhammer banjo style; Cooke, Curtis (Artist); Cooke, Hubert (Artist); Curtis Cooke (Artist); Dropping out; Family bands; Fathers; Grandfathers; Hubert Cooke (Artist); Mothers; Norton (Va.); Parents; Quitting school; Schools; Singing Cookes (Artist); Songs; Uncles; Wise County (Va.)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Childhood; Families.; Music--Performance.; Musical ability in children.; Musical ability.; Musical families; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, what was it like to go out that--when you were still a high school age student and going on the road?

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about what it was like to travel with the Stanley Brothers. He talks about the schedule at the Grand Ole Opry with Bill Monroe.

Keywords: Attitudes; Bill Monroe (Artist); Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (Artist); Carter Stanley (Artist); Changes; Concerts; Experiences; Gigs; Goals; Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Hits; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Nashville (Tenn.); Personality; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Ryman Theater; Shows; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Carter (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Tenure; The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Touring; Travel

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, I want to talk a little bit about your singing style.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks briefly about where he learned his singing style.

Keywords: Churches; Influences; Musical styles; Singing styles

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, now let's talk just a little about, um, when you were in your early twenties and you're spending a good amount of time on the road, weren't you?

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks more about touring with the Stanley Brothers. He tells a story about playing on top of a concession stand at a drive-in theater and falling off of the roof.

Keywords: Accidents; Concerts; Concession stands; Drive-in theaters; Falling; Gigs; Grand Ole Opry (Radio program); Hazard (Ky.); Intermission; Nashville (Tenn.); On the road; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Selling; Shows; Songbooks; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Touring; Tours; Travel; Young

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me another good 'un.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke tells another humorous story about touring with the Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, when Keith Whitley and Renfro Proffit pretended to shoot each other while Cooke was driving.

Keywords: 1976; Boredom; Driving; Games; Guns; Horses; Jokes; Keith Whitley (Artist); Ketchup; On the road; Pranks; Proffit, Renfro (Artist); Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Renfro Proffit (Artist); Shooting; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Touring; Tours; Travel; Whitley, Keith (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, tell me about some of the recording sessions.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about his experiences recording albums with the Stanley Brothers and Bill Monroe. He talks about their rehearsals, his singing parts, and his favorite songs.

Keywords: Albums; Bill Monroe (Artist); Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys (Artist); Favorites; Maryland; Monroe, Bill (Artist); Nashville (Tenn.); Parts; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Rebel Records; Recording sessions; Rehearsals; Sad songs; Singing; Songs; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Tracks

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound studios; Sound--Recording and reproducing

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, tell me a little bit about where this "Mayor of Norton" stuff came along.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about being jokingly nicknamed the "Mayor of Norton." He talks about his personality and attitude.

Keywords: "Good agitator"; Attitudes; Jokes; Lively; Norton (Va.); Personality; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist)

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: And even this afternoon when I saw y'all on the stage, uh, just, uh, today--

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about singing with Ralph Stanley and trying to make him sound better.

Keywords: Blending; Guides; Harmony singing; Musical styles; Phrasing; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Singing; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Voices

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Okay, well let's now, uh, talk a little bit about, um, other band members that you've worked with.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke discusses how he, Ralph Stanley, and Curly Ray Cline made up the core of the band while various other band members came and went over the years. He talks about helping the younger members of the band.

Keywords: Band members; Cline, Curly Ray (Artist); Core group; Curly Ray Cline (Artist); Influences; Musical styles; Older people; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Role models; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); Teams; The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Training; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, I want to ask you about being on the road for that long.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks more about touring with Ralph Stanley. He talks more about singing and playing in the band.

Keywords: Accidents; Age; Banjo players; Banjos; Concerts; Getting older; Gigs; Older people; On the road; Playing music; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Shows; Singing; Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Touring; Tours; Travel

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical ability.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, let's talk a little bit about, um, um, as you've been with the band all these years, um, have you--are, are there times...

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about the increase in popularity for Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys due to "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" He talks about the ups and downs of the popularity of bluegrass.

Keywords: Attention; Audiences; Crowds; O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Album); O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Motion picture); Popularity; Publicity; Ralph Stanley (Artist); Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys, the (Artist); Stanley, Ralph (Artist); The Stanley Brothers and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Artist); Ups and downs; Women musicians; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, uh, what advice would you give to the younger players that are trying to learn this music?

Segment Synopsis: Cooke offers advice for young people looking to break into the bluegrass industry. He talks about his father's musical ability and influence.

Keywords: Advice; Careers; Demand; Fathers; Influences; Jobs; Melody; Musical styles; Old time music; Simple; Sound; Traditional music; Work; Young musicians; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: And I guess there's a question that I, I kind of am asked sometime about you staying in the area where you grew up.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about how living in Norton, Virginia instead of Nashville or the Northeast affected his accent and pronunciation when singing. He talks about the importance of being yourself.

Keywords: Accents; Advice; Be yourself; Changes; Home; Influences; Location; Maryland; Mountain sound; Nashville (Tenn.); Norton (Va.); Pennsylvania; Phrasing; Place; Pronunciation; Singing

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: And when you're on the stage, there's a--it's hard to be yourself isn't it?

Segment Synopsis: Cooke talks about his personality on stage and off. He talks about socializing with the crowds.

Keywords: Ambassadors; Audiences; Be yourself; Crowds; Older people; On stage; People skills; Personality; Social skills; Socializing; Talking; Young people

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: Well, okay well let just, uh, say, okay, in summary.

Segment Synopsis: Cooke says he regrets not recording more solo albums. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Fans; Legacy; Regrets; Remembered

Subjects: Bands (Music); Bluegrass music.; Bluegrass musicians; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Records.; Sound recordings.; Sound--Recording and reproducing