CooperTalk

Steve Cooper talks with soccer player/commentator Alexi Lalas. Alexi is best known as a standout defender on the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 1994 World Cup, and was also a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team and the 1998 World Cup squad. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame and one of the sport’s most recognizable personalities.  One of the first signings for Major League Soccer, he began his MLS career with the New England Revolution and went on to play for the MetroStars, Kansas City Wizards and the Los Angeles Galaxy. Following his retirement in 2002, he was appointed President and General Manager of the San Jose Earthquakes; he served the same role with the New York MetroStars in 2005 and LA Galaxy in 2008. Now a well respected commentator on Fox he is also an accomplished musician and has recorded 7 solo albums.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Clem Burke. Clem is best known for being the drummer for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members Blondie. Blondie emerged as the great pop icons of New York’s celebrated late ’70s new wave punk scene and achieved commercial success in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s with number 1 hit singles Atomic, Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl, Call Me, Rapture, and The Tide is High. During periods of inactivity with Blondie during the 1980s and 1990s, he played with a number of well respected artists and bands, including: Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, The Ramones, Chequered Past, The Romantics, and Joan Jett. Perhaps the most notable collaboration was with Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) who he helped record the Grammy-winning hit Missionary Man. Lately Between Blondie tours, he has been recording and touring with his other musical collaborations, the Split Squad and the Empty Hearts.

Steve Cooper talks with actor Julia Duffy. Julia is best known for playing Stephanie Vanderkellen on the hit TV series Newhart from 1983 to 1990. (The role garnered her seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations.) Following the conclusion of Newhart, she continued to work in television, playing the original Maggie Campbell on Baby Talk and Allison Sugarbaker on Designing Women. In the 2000s, she appeared in guest roles on Reba and Drake & Josh, as well as having supporting roles in 2003's comedy films Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd and Intolerable Cruelty. She subsequently had recurring guest roles on the series Shameless and Looking, and appeared in a supporting role in the drama Camp X-Ray.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Tony Hadley. Tony is best known for being the lead singer of Spandau Ballet. In the 80's they had a string of smash hits like To Cut a Long Story Short, Gold, Through the Barricades and True. (Which was number four on the US charts in late 1983.) He launched a solo career following the group's split in 1990 and returned to the band in 2009 but left again in 2017. He currently plays to sold out crowds around the world.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Glen Matlock. Glen is best known as one of the founding members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees the Sex Pistols. After the Sex Pistols split in 1978 he appeared with Iggy Pop, touring throughout 1979 and playing on his Soldier album. He later guested on records by the likes of Ian Hunter (Mott the Hoople), Frank Black (Pixies) and Primal Scream before signing to Alan McGee’s Creation Records in 1995. 1996 saw him team up with the reunited Sex Pistols on the ‘Filthy Lucre’ world tour. Almost 20 years after they last played together the original Pistols were back. From 2001 to 2005 he was a member of Dead Men Walking, a live supergroup which included members of The Cult, Stray Cats and The Alarm. The band issued two live albums and built up a cult following throughout the UK. In 2011 he formed The International Swingers together with Clem Burke (Blondie), James Stevenson (Chelsea) and Gary Twinn. The band released the album Whatever Works Now in 2015. As well as regularly playing solo shows, he also fronts his own band The Philistines. Their fourth album ‘Born Running’ was released in 2010. ‘Good to Go’ Glen’s second solo album was released in 2018. He continues to tour world wide.

Steve Cooper talks with screenwriter Rich Wilkes. Rich has written the movies Airheads, xXx, The Dirt and The Jerky Boys to name a few. He also wrote and directed Glory Daze and wrote and stars in the documentary Punk Like Me.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Geoff Downes. Geoff first came into the spotlight from being a member of the new wave group The Buggles with Trevor Horn. The Buggles song Video Killed the Radio Star was the first video played on MTV. He then joined Yes and after that formed the supergroup Asia. Since then he has rejoined Yes and is in the Downes Braide Association.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Mark Farner. Mark is best know for being the lead singer and lead guitarist for Grand Funk Railroad. After the 1969 Atlantic Pop Festival put Grand Funk Railroad on the fast track, the band topped the Billboard Chart twice with both the anthem We’re an American Band and The Loco-Motion. The Flint, Michigan trio reached the top 10 again with Some Kind of Wonderful (No. 3) and Bad Time (No. 4) before GFR disbanded for the first time in 1976. Mark briefly rejoined Grand Funk during the 1980s and 1990s and he has collaborated with many other artists over the years.  However, his focus has been to forge an enduring solo career based upon bringing his message of love to his fans in all corners of the world.

Steve Cooper talks with singer/songwriter Don McLean. Don is best known for his 1971 hit song "American Pie", an 8.5-minute folk rock "cultural touchstone" about the loss of innocence of the early rock and roll generation. (In 2001, American Pie was voted number 5 in a poll of the 365 Songs of the Century compiled by the RIAA and the National Endowment for the Arts.) His other hit singles include Vincent, Dreidel, a rendition of Roy Orbison's Crying and rendition of the Skyliners Since I Don't Have You and Wonderful Baby. He has recorded over 20 studio albums and continues to sell out shows in America and around the world.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Martin Chambers. Martin is best known for being the drummer of The Pretenders. The Pretenders were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Martin played for the band from 1978-1986 and returned in 1994. He has performed with the band all over the world including at Live Aid and the US Festival.