Ray Cooper

Ray Cooper

Ray Cooper is a British musician and occasional actor, known for work as a session and touring percussionist, as well as for playing cello, guitar, organ, mandolin, kantele and other instruments while singing. He is also known by the alias Chopper. He is a member of Oysterband and is one of the founders of 3 Mustaphas 3, where he appears as Oussak Moustapha. He also records as a solo artist.

Music career

Cooper’s recording career begins in the 1960s, when he works with The Who and other artists. Early credits include America, Carly Simon, David Essex and Blue Mink. He later becomes particularly closely associated with Elton John, appearing on most of John’s albums in the 1970s. He also plays on Nicky Hopkins’ 1973 solo album.

In the 1970s he plays percussion on The Rolling Stones’ It’s Only Rock ’n Roll. During the same decade he records with George Harrison, Bryan Ferry, Wings and Art Garfunkel. His later session work includes Paul McCartney, Elton John again, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Mark Knopfler, Roger Waters, The Traveling Wilburys, Maynard Ferguson and Ravi Shankar.

Cooper tours with Elton John as a duo in the late 1970s, with John performing solo before joining him for the second half of the show on percussion. The tour includes concerts in Russia in 1979 and gains him a strong following among Elton John fans. The two-man format is repeated in the mid-1990s in the United States, and he also appears in a Disney Channel concert telecast recorded at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. He reunites with Elton John again in 2009.

Other collaborations and performances

Cooper continues to work with musicians connected to the Rolling Stones, including a contribution to Bill Wyman’s third solo album in 1981. He takes part in the 1983 Ronnie Lane ARMS Charity Concert tour alongside Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts. He appears on Christine McVie’s solo album in 1984, on Mick Jagger’s She’s the Boss and Bill Wyman’s Willie & The Poor Boys in 1985, and with Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings on Struttin’ Our Stuff in 1997.

His percussion is also heard in Eric Clapton’s 1992 Unplugged performance. In 1997 he performs at the Music for Montserrat concert. He appears in the 2002 Concert for George, the tribute to George Harrison, and also serves as a producer of the film. He contributes to the Jim Capaldi tribute concert in 2007 and works on Katie Melua’s album Pictures in the same period.

Acting and film work

Alongside music, Cooper takes small acting roles in film and television. He plays the preacher in Robert Altman’s Popeye and appears in Terry Gilliam’s Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen in minor roles. An acting role as Albert Arthur Moxey in Auf Wiedersehen Pet is written for him, but the part does not go to him.

Solo work

Cooper releases a solo album, Tales of Love War & Death by Hanging.