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  • Oral History

Stoney Cooper and Wilma Lee Cooper

January 2, 1968 OH306 64 min.
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Biography


Country performers. Stoney Cooper born October 16, 1918. Died March 22, 1977. Full name: Dale Troy Cooper. With his wife, Wilma Lee Cooper (Full name: Wilma Leigh Leary Cooper, born February 7, 1921), Stoney Cooper formed one of country music’s premier husband-wife duos. Regular Grand Ole Opry performers for twenty years, their hits included “Sunny Side of the Mountain,” “Cheated Too,” and “Big Midnight Special.”

Interview Summary

1968 January 2
(1 hour, 4 minutes)
Husband-and-wife duo Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper discuss their career in country music. Topics discussed include Stoney’s musical background and his early interest in playing fiddle; Wilma Lee’s family, the Leary Family, and their music; moving to Nebraska to do a radio show; how Stoney got his nickname; performing as Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper and the Blues Chasers; recording for the Rich-R-Tone label; how Fred Rose got them signed to Columbia Records; their friendship with Hawkshaw Hawkins.