Died On This Date (September 13, 2011) Wilma Lee Cooper / Grand Ole Opry Member
themusicsover 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.
What You Should Own
Billy Grammer (born Billie) was a country music singer and guitarist who scored several hits during the 1960s, including the million-selling “Gotta Travel On,” which ultimately reached the top 5 on both the country and pop charts. After serving in the Army during WWII, Grammer settled in the Nashville area where he was signed to Monument Records. He went on to record such hits as “Gotta Travel On,” “The Real Thing,” and “I Wanna Go Home,” which became a hit again for Mel Tillis, but as “Detroit City.” In 1965, Grammer co-founded RG&G Guitar Company where he launched his Grammer Guitar. The company was later named Grammer Guitar, Inc. and continued to sell the popular model until 1970. An original Grammer resides at the Country Music Hall of Fame. On May 15, 1972, Grammer became an American politics footnote when he and his band performed at the political rally at which then Alabama Governor and Presidential candidate George Wallace was shot and paralyzed by an assailant. Two years later, Grammer delivered the invocation at the opening of the Grand Ole Opry. Billy Grammer was two weeks shy of his 86th birthday when he passed away on August 10, 2011.
Marshall Grant is perhaps best remembered as the bassist and back-up singer for 
