Roger Cooper

Roger Cooper is one of only a handful of Lewis County, Kentucky fiddlers of his generation to grow up performing the region’s distinctive style of local fiddling. Raised in an area of great fiddlers, Roger began his musical career at age 12 playing guitar behind Joe Stamper on Vanceburg’s WKKS radio station. Over the years he has learned from many great notable Kentucky fiddlers like Buddy Thomas, George Hawkins, Jimmy Wheeler, and Bob Prater and has taken his regional style of fiddle playing across the country, performing at the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington and at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Having played for over forty years, Cooper has participated in many projects with the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Folklife Program. He has recorded many of the tunes in his repertoire, and they are available on Rounder Records.