Wilma Lee Cooper (Born Wilma Lee Leary)
February 7, 1921 – September 13, 2011
Wilma Lee Cooper was an accomplished bluegrass and country performer who joined the ranks of the Grand Ole Opry in 1957. Born and raised on West Virginia, Cooper was just a child when she began singing in her family gospel group, the Leary Family. In 1939, she married fellow musician, Stoney Cooper with whom she went on to perform and record with as Wilma Lee & Stoney Copper and the Clinch Mountain Clan. Throughout the late ’50s and early ’60s, the duo released a series of charting records that included “Big Midnight Special” and “The Tramp On The Street.” After her husband passed away in 1977, Cooper continued on as a solo artist until a stroke in 2001 forced her retirement. She did however, return to the Opry stage in 2010 as part of a group sing-along to celebrate the venue’s grand re-opening. As reported in Music Row, Wilma Lee Cooper died of natural causes on September 13, 2011. She was 90.
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