Artist, Journalist, and Historian Peter Cooper Suffers Head Injury

UPDATE: Venerated Journalist and Performer Peter Cooper Has Died
The family of singer, songwriter, performer, producer, journalist, and historian Peter Cooper are asking for thoughts and prayers after the veteran member of the country music community suffered a head injury that was initially thought to be life threatening. “He has experienced some minor improvements over the last 24 hours, but remains in critical condition,” his family said in a statement on Saturday (12-3).
Many members of the country music community have been sharing the news about Cooper, and what he’s meant to the country music community over his multi-faceted career.
“I talked to Peter last weekend and saw him in the hospital yesterday,” says author, manager and publicist Tamara Saviano. “Lindsay Hayes and I were together talking about Peter when he opened his eyes and started responding to questions (with movement, he’s on a ventilator) and he clearly knew we were there. Seeing those responses has given me so much hope. We need a Christmas miracle here and maybe we will get one.”
It’s hard to know where to start enumerating the contributions of Peter Cooper to country music since they’re so vast. To some he’s known as a singer and songwriter who has released multiple albums, including ones in collaboration with Eric Brace, and another from 2010 called The Lloyd Green Album with legendary steel guitar player Lloyd Green. Cooper was nominated for a Grammy award for co-producing I Love: Tom T. Hall’s Songs of Fox Hollow, and played bass guitar for Todd Snider on The Tonight Show and The Late Show among other gigs.
But many know Peter Cooper from his bylines in The Tennessean and other places, and he came up in the business as a music journalist. Originally from South Carolina, Cooper attended high school in Washington DC. When he was 15, Peter heard the music of the DC-based progressive bluegrass band The Seldom Scene and fell in love. He wrote his first music review as a senior at Wofford College after attending a Guy Clark show.
Peter Cooper moved to Nashville in 2000 and began writing for country music’s newspaper of record, The Tennessean, composing columns and news stories that went on to help break artists, define history, and make some history of his own, from writing the inscription on the tombstone of George Jones, to being called out by Toby Keith over a misconstrued Kris Kristofferson quote, to defending Taylor Swift in 2010 after her notorious off-key Grammy Awards performance.
As a historian and teacher, Peter Cooper worked as a senior lecturer at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and taught a country music history class. In 2014, he was hired by the Country Music Hall of Fame as senior director, producer and writer. Many of the descriptions you read beside artifacts at the Hall of Fame were written by Cooper.
There is no word currently on how, when and where Peter Cooper sustained his head injury. Family and friends are asking for “time and space to heal.” But news of his condition has shaken the country music community, and created a significant blow to the country music brain trust, with everyone hoping for a full recovery.
More information when it comes available.
December 3, 2022 @ 3:56 pm
I remember when Toby Keith angrily went after Peter Cooper, years back, over an article that Cooper wrote in the Tennesseean that seemed to credulously re-tell a phony story from Rolling Stone involving Kris Kristofferson putting down Toby Keith.
I guess all three of them could use our best wishes now.
I wonder if Peter was just walking or riding a bike when he got injured.
December 3, 2022 @ 4:33 pm
Just prayed my heart out for Mr. Cooper.
Prayed for God’s Heavenly angels to surround him. For Jesus, the great healer, to be with him.
Most of all, for Peter to feel all of God’s Love.
8 skull fx’s, and broken bones, Jeep rollover. been there
December 3, 2022 @ 4:46 pm
I pray that Peter makes a complete recovery.
I highly recommend the album You Don’t Have to Like Them Both by Peter and Eric Brace. It’s a great little secret. I always thought the song “Down to the Well” should be a standard.
December 3, 2022 @ 5:08 pm
I hate this. I’ve always enjoyed his music and have missed his writing since moving to the CMHOF.
December 3, 2022 @ 5:25 pm
Oh no! Peter is such a kind soul. I had the pleasure of working with him at both Music City Roots and at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He is always so friendly and genuine. I hope he pulls through this rough spell.
December 4, 2022 @ 1:15 am
I have learned from a credible source he has passed
December 4, 2022 @ 9:15 am
At 10:15 on 12/4/2022, I am unable to verify that. I am monitoring the situation.
December 4, 2022 @ 1:14 pm
That is incorrect. Peter is indeed alive . Please do not spread gossip.
December 4, 2022 @ 2:04 pm
Your ‘credible source’ is wrong. Stop it
December 4, 2022 @ 10:31 pm
Folks, this is what misinformation and rumor look like. Use good judgement when reading certainties from strangers…
December 4, 2022 @ 10:22 am
Peter Cooper and Eric Brace were the first artists to perform at Casa Tortooga House Concerts June 01, 2012. It was a beautiful evening!
We’re sending love, healing prayers and ever good vibe we can send.❤️????❤️
December 4, 2022 @ 3:09 pm
Wow. Was just watching the 4-part BBC Kris Kristofferson biography, narrated by Steve Earle, and Cooper is quoted all over it. First I’d heard of him…he obviously knows his stuff.
December 4, 2022 @ 6:04 pm
I know this is a silly story, but I’ll share it anyway. Many years ago, I was working on a story for our local newspaper that had something to do local reaction to Johnny Cash’s death. I don’t live in Tennessee, but I’m a fan of traditional country music and I’d read many of Peter’s profiles in the Tennessean.
Anyway…I had a question about Cash that google couldn’t answer, so I figured, ‘What the heck? I’ll email Peter Cooper.” It was kinda late, so I didn’t hear back from him. And then started thinking, ‘Man, that was really stupid, somebody as busy and famous as Peter Cooper isn’t going to answer an email from a no-name like me.”
When I went to work the next morning, I saw that I had a very nice, cordial unassuming email from Peter Cooper!!!
I was blown away! I remember thinking, ‘Wow, this guy really is an ambassador for country music. He’s right up there with Eddie Stubbs and Marty Stuart.’
A couple years later, I saw that he’d left the Tennessean for the CMHoF. I said, “Now that’s a good hire!”
December 5, 2022 @ 11:06 am
Ambassador. Well said, Dave!
December 4, 2022 @ 7:36 pm
“ created a significant blow to the country music brain trust” seems like an insensitive choice of words for an article regarding a head injury. Unintentional I’m sure.
December 4, 2022 @ 7:38 pm
Peter’s an amazing writer and journalist. Prayers for a quick and complete recovery.
December 6, 2022 @ 12:35 am
Peter, I’m pulling for you
You collected my artwork
I collected your wisdom
From ‘Four Wal-Marts
In a Tri-County Area
To this very day – Godspeed
Your health and healing
December 7, 2022 @ 9:41 am
Sadly, Bill Anderson has posted Facebook that Mr. Cooper passed away last night. They were close friends; Bill spoke to him just 40 minutes before the fall that ultimately took his life. Prayers and God’s love to the Cooper family.
December 7, 2022 @ 10:00 am
Again, as of this moment, Peter Cooper is still alive. The family has given numerous updates that he is showing slow signs of improvement. I’m not even sure if his injury is being considered life-threatening at the moment. Of course, all of this could change, but I am monitoring the situation, and am in close contact with people around him. I’m not sure who the Bill Anderson is that you’re referring to. If it is Bill Anderson the musician, I am seeing no such announcement. Perhaps he removed it. Perhaps someone is trying to run a game here, but I’m letting these comments stand to give the opportunity to refute these rumors. Let’s be patient and respectful of this situation, and if there is any confirmed news, I will be posting it ASAP.
December 7, 2022 @ 10:06 am
I just checked and Bill’s post was removed. My speculation is that the family wasn’t ready for this to be public or perhaps he was given bad info. It was quite a heartfelt post since Mr. Cooper co-wrote Bill’s most recent book and helped with the exhibit at the HOF.
I don’t blame you for being skeptical, but I assure you I didn’t make this up. It was posted at the time I made the comment and multiple people had remarked on Bill’s post.
December 7, 2022 @ 10:17 am
Got it, Steve. I apologize if I came across as accusatory. I’ve been running down death rumors for Peter Cooper for two days now, and perhaps Bill Anderson was a victim of these as well. Maybe you’re right. Maybe the family is delaying information. Maybe it’s total rumor. All I know to do is to wait until it is 100% confirmed from a source that I trust before reporting it, and meanwhile hope for Peter Cooper’s improvement.
December 7, 2022 @ 10:41 am
Just got confirmation Peter Cooper has died. Obituary upcoming.
December 7, 2022 @ 12:19 pm
No apology necessary. You were right to be dubious when the post disappeared. The big picture is that this is a terrible loss from a human standpoint and for the country music community as a whole. Mr. Cooper bridged the gap between the past and present brilliantly.
December 7, 2022 @ 11:37 am
Terrible.
Bill Anderson is a straight shooter. In contrast to most artists, his website is up-to-date, with nothing canned or boilerplate, and he appears to write most of the postings himself, and they reflect his personality. If Peter Cooper’s family are not up to dealing with the public directly, there’s noone better than Bill that they can use to get the news out, as necessary.
December 9, 2022 @ 7:37 am
shame on you tamara savriano for making this about you. there was no hope when you got the hospital and no hope when you left. if you’d asked his family before you went to the press you’d have known that. his son had already said good bye. your selfish need to feel like your presence pulled a dying man out of his coma, did nothing but make his passing harder for his son. this wasn’t an americana showcase.
December 14, 2022 @ 4:24 pm
I met Peter at the Cmhof and immediately, for obvious reason, had a connection. Both from SC and both knew about the “Beacon” in Spartanburg SC.
Always enjoyed reading his commentary.
RIP