(c’78-?) Graham “Cupcake’ Cooper (vocals / Guitar)
Cooper didn’t start out as a singer / songwriter. When Richard Over left The Phantom Four, he was replaced by Cooper and the band became Strange Brew, a mostly covers band. Then, in summer 1968, Strange Brew, which had been brothers Ian Latimer (bass) and Andrew Latimer (guitar/vocals), with Alan Butcher (drums) and Cooper (guitar), saw bassist Latimer and Cooper depart, leaving the remaining Latimer brother and Butcher to form The Brew.
Cooper would then become a member of The Stormsville Shakers and by ’76, Cooper was one of the core members on Jackie Lynton’s Happy Days Band; but by ’80, Graham/e White had replaced Cooper on guitar.
In September ’79 Cooper entered Chestnut Studios, Churt and ably assisted by Greg Terry-Short on drums and fellow Soho member Terry Campbell on bass, who split those duties with engineer Tim Wheatley, recorded nine rock and blues tracks, including Cupcakes Boogie. There were also backing-vocals provided by Tammy and Teri Collins on the title track, with the Bloodhound‘s Mick Hogsden, along with Greg Watkins and Terry-Short doing the same on Lar-De-Dar. These would be released as the solo vinyl LP: Dogs, Women and Walnut Trees on Fat Toad Records [FTR001]. There were also two bonus tracks on the B-side: Rollover Beethoven and Tamel recorded live with The Jackie Lynton Band and the Golden Lion, Fulham on 18 November ’78.
Cooper would be later found performing solo under the Graham “Cupcake” Cooper moniker, and some recall Eric Clapton joining him and other local musicians onstage at The Royal, Guildford for a charity gig in the early ’80s with Bruce Foxton of The Jam in the audience.
In the mid 90’s Clodagh Rodgers held a benefit for her husband, guitarist Ian Sorbie, who had cancer and regrettably dies in ’95. at the Village Hall, Chiddingfold. Sev Lewkowicz played keys for that event, in a pick-up band with Mike Rutherford, Kenney Jones, Spinetti, Richard O’Brien, Graham Cooper and Tim Wheatley; rehearsing for it at Jones house.
We are also aware that Cooper was the guitarist with Ferrari Red & the Revettes with Stuart Reffold (vocals), Steve Prudence (bass), and Dickie Knight (drums); playing a few gigs locally, including with Clapton in Cranleigh in aid of Guildford Nurses.
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