CooperTalk

Steve Cooper talks with musician Steve "Lips" Kudlow. Lips is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist of the Canadian heavy metal band Anvil. Anvil was the subject of the critically acclaimed 2008 documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil which brought the band renewed recognition. The band released their first album in 1981 and since then has recorded 17 more.

Steve Cooper talks with comedy writer/songwriter/actor Bruce Vilanch.  Bruce is a six-time Emmy Award-winner best known to the public for his four-year stint on Hollywood Squares, as a celebrity participant; behind the scenes he was head writer for the show. He has also written for the Academy Awards, the Tony’s, the Grammy’s and the Emmy’s. He began his writing career in the mid-1970s when he began writing articles for the entertainment section of The Chicago Tribune. During the early phase of his career, he worked with Bette Midler, writing for her Broadway show titled Clams on the Half Shell and Divine Madness.’ In 1980, he also began writing articles for the LGBT-interest magazine titled The Advocate and he serves as a writer for the magazine to this day. As for his acting career, he has appeared in films such as Mahogany and The Ice Pirates, You Don't Mess with the Zohan along with television series’ such as Law & Order and Bosom Buddies and on stage in Hairspray.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Dave "Snake" Sabo. Snake is lead guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for Skid Row. Skid Row's self titled debut album in 1989 sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. and had four singles accompanied by videos. (18 and Life, Youth Gone Wild, I Remember You and Pieces of Me.) Their follow up, "Slave  to the Grind" was the first metal album to debut at number one on the charts. Since then they have recorded 5 albums and continue to tour the world.

Steve Cooper talks with stand-up comic/actor Jon Reep. Jon built a following through his hilarious comedy specials and as the winner of NBC’s fifth season of Last Comic Standing. He can currently be seen in Netflix’s Brad Paisley’s Comedy Rodeo and his new standup special on Amazon Prime Ginger Beard Man or his new standup album Ginger Pain. His  hour standup special Jon Reep: Metro Jethro and his half hour standup special both aired on Comedy Central. He is also host of the popular podcast Country-ish. As an actor, he has been seen in Tig Notaro’s Amazon Series One Mississisppi, CW’s Jane The Virgin, ABC’s Black-ish, HBO’s Eastbound and Down, and as the “Hemi Guy” from Dodge’s popular ad campaign. On the big screen he appeared in the feature film Into the Storm and as the beloved Raymus, the pot smoking farmer in Harold and Kumar: Escape From Guantanamo Bay.

Steve Cooper talks with musician Rachel Bolan. Rachel is the bassist, songwriter and co-founder for Skid Row. Skid Row's self titled debut album in 1989 sold over 5 million copies in the U.S. and had four singles accompanied by videos. (18 and Life, Youth Gone Wild, I Remember You and Pieces of Me.) Their follow up, "Slave  to the Grind" was the first metal album to debut at number one on the charts. Since then they have recorded 5 albums and continue to tour the world.

Steve Cooper talks with thought leader/mascot David Raymond. David is best known for being the original Phillie Phanatic. During his 16 years performing as the Phanatic in 48 states and five countries, his charismatic showmanship carried the Philadelphia Phillies to World Series victories and unimagined levels of popularity, sparking a revolution in the mascot industry. Leveraging the unique lessons he learned from the inside out, He made a seamless transition as an entrepreneur into the world of character branding and mascot development. Since starting Raymond Entertainment Group nearly 20 years ago, he has designed and rehabilitated hundreds of character brands for Fortune 500 companies, sports teams, and colleges and universities. In 2005, he founded the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Steve Cooper talks with musician John Waite. John began his career when he was tapped as bassist and lead vocalist for the Babys who rocketed to Top 20 chart positions with a pair of hits, Isn’t it Time from the band’s sophomore LP, Broken Heart in 1977 and the monster ballad, Every Time I Think of You off 1978’s Head First. After he parted ways with the band and embarked on a solo career he has released ten studio albums and is best known for the 1984 hit single Missing You, which reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the top ten on the UK Singles Chart.

Steve Cooper talks with writer/producer Jim Vallely. Jim was a writer and consulting producer for Arrested Development, a multiple Emmy Award-winning television show and was an executive producer and co-creator of Running Wilde. He got his start being part of the popular comedy due The Funny Boys and then transitioned into writing. He wrote or produced for a number of TV series including The Golden Girls, The John Larroquette Show, My Wife and Kids, Ladies Man, Action and Two and a Half Men. He also created the series Brotherly Love.

Steve Cooper talks with actor Alicia Coppola. Alicia has recently had co-starring, guest starring or recurring roles in shows such as Shameless, Why Women Kill, All Rise, Empire, The Rookie, The Young and the Restless, MacGyver and Designated Survivor. She also has starred on CBS’s Jericho and played the role of Lorna Devon on NBC’s long running soap opera Another World for which she was nominated twice and won the Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Younger Leading Actress. Other shows she has appeared on include series such as Sons of Anarchy, Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI:NY Two And A Half Men, Law And Order; Criminal Intent, Crossing Jordan, Suits and many others.

Steve Cooper talks with musician/actor Corey Glover. Corey is best known as the lead singer for the band Living Colour. Livng Colour has recorded 6 studio albums and rose to fame with their solo album Vivid which included the Grammy winning hit Cult of Personality. Corey has a current project with the band Soul Saver and has been involved with many other groups including Galactic, Ultraphonic and Soul Rebels Brass Band. He also is an actor who appeared in the Oscar winning movie Platoon and played Judas Iscariot opposite of Ted Neeley in a national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.