Johnny Cooper
New Zealand's first recorded rock & roller, Johnny Cooper opened the floodgates for all of the Kiwi artists to follow in the years to come. Born in Wairoa in 1928, he began playing guitar at a young age, performing for the sheep shearers on his father's farm; influenced by American cowboy stars including Gene Autry and Tex Ritter, he initially leaned towards country music, and after relocating to Wellington in 1948 became a fixture on the area club circuit under the guise "The Maori Cowboy." In 1952, Cooper recruited a backing band he dubbed the Range Riders, and soon landed a recording contract with HMV; over the next several years he included a number of hit singles, including "One by One," a duet with singer Margaret Francis which became the best-selling release in the history of the New Zealand music industry.
In mid-1955, Cooper was summoned to HMV's offices, where he was given a copy of Bill Haley's smash "Rock Around the Clock" and told that a cover version was to be his next record; baffled by the lyrics as well as the sound of the new music dubbed rock & roll, Cooper nevertheless approximated Haley's style as closely as possible, and backed by a local jazz group called Ken Avery and His Rockin' Rhythm, he cut New Zealand's very first rock record (probably also the first ever cut outside of the U.S.). Released in October 1955, Cooper's rendition of "Rock Around the Clock" fared poorly; when issued in New Zealand a year later, however, Haley's original was a blockbuster. At the command of HMV, Cooper continued his tentative move into rock, and with a new backing band called the Fabulous Flamingos soon recorded his hit original composition "Pie Cart Rock'n'roll." Still, he was never truly comfortable with the new music, and soon turned to hosting the talent quest Give It a Go.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
Discography
11 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Rock And Sing With Johnny Cooper
Rock - Released by Universal Music New Zealand Limited on 1 Jan 1955
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Live at the Pub II
Rock - Released by Johnny Bob Music on 19 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Live at the Pub
Rock - Released by Johnny Bob Music on 13 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sound Check with Justin Ross
Rock - Released by Justin Ross Productions on 23 Feb 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sidecar
Sidecar, Justin Ross, Johnny Cooper
Rock - Released by Johnny Bob Music on 10 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Moving on (feat. Kimberly Dunn)
Rock - Released by Johnny Bob Music on 13 May 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo