Wilma Lee Cooper, a long-time member of the Grand Ole Opry passed away on Sept. 13 at her home in Sweetwater, Tennessee.
Cooper, who often performed with husband Stoney Cooper had been a member of the Opry since 1957. Cooper passed away from natural causes.
Wilma Lee continued to perform at the Opry until the age of 80-years-old, appearing for her last solo performance at the Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 24, 2001. The singer then appeared in 2010 at the ripe old age of 89-years-old for a group sing-along for the grand re-opening of the Opry House.
Cooper came to prominence in the 1940s while performing with husband Stoney (Dale T.). Among the songs the couple recorded are:
The Legend of the Dogwood Tree, Little Rosewood Casket and Sunny Side of the Mountain for Rich-R-Tone and Columbia Records, they also recorded Wreck on the Highway and Philadelphia Lawyer, both under the Hickory label.
Both Cooper and her husband are members of the West Virginia Musical Hall of Fame.
After her husband died in 1977 Wilma Lee continued to perform with her group The Clinch Mountain Clan until she suffered a stroke in 2001 which forced her to walk away from performing.
It’s been a tough one month period for Grand Ole Opry fans, in August another long-time member Billy Grammer died at the age of 85.
Our condolences go out to Cooper’s family and friends, she’ll be greatly missed among country fans the world over.
