Remembering Mark “Whitey” Cooper
by Bob Campbell
Mark Cooper, a kind, well-respected, and exceptionally talented drummer, singer, and vintage drum collector, passed away from his battle with cancer on August 1, 2024. His loss has left an undeniable void in the drum and music community, one that will never fully heal. Mark’s legacy, however, will forever resonate in the hearts of everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. With his infectious smile, sharp wit, and endless generosity, Mark brought light to every room he entered. His spirit lives on through the countless individuals he inspired, mentored, and befriended.
For decades, Mark was a pillar of the Pittsburgh music scene, both as a drummer and a vocalist. After high school, he formed a band known as The Resistance, with Nason Gieg, Kieth Giles, and Paul Shook. They were fortunate to have Norman Nardini’s assistance with song-writing and production. Norman Nardini was a member of the national recording act, Diamond Reo. After Diamond Reo disbanded around 1978, Norman got Mark, Paul Shook, and Nason Gieg together to form, “Norman Nardini & The Tigers”. Norman fondly described Mark as a drummer who could swing, a testament to Mark's deep admiration and study of Big Band drumming.
But Mark's talent and charisma weren't confined to just the music scene. In a surprising twist, he had his "15 minutes of fame" as a zombie in the iconic 1978 film Dawn of the Dead. Mark would go on to attend Living Dead conventions for many, many years to meet fans and sign autographs!
With Mark holding down the rhythm section on drums and backing vocals, Norman Nardini & The Tigers released their debut album, Eat’n Alive, in 1981, followed by a self-titled album in 1985 after signing with CBS Records. The band enjoyed success but ultimately disbanded in 1987. Mark continued to support Norman on solo projects and contributed drum tracks for the True Believers. As the '90s dawned, Mark stepped into the spotlight as the lead vocalist for Blind Venetians, bringing his unique energy and style to the forefront. In the early 2000s, Mark reunited with Norman Nardini for several recordings, including Redemption: Best of 1977-1988, Bone A Fide, Breakdown In Paradise, and Buried Alive ‘95. Mark’s final performance with Norman came in 2018 during a celebration of Norman’s 50 years in the music business. Due to heart issues affecting his overall health, Mark’s performing days came to an end, but his passion for music remained undiminished.
Even after stepping back from the stage, Mark remained a steadfast presence in the world of drums. A dedicated supporter of the vintage drum community, he spent more than a decade as an active participant in the Chicago Drum Show. His love for vintage drums — their sound, their craftsmanship, and their history — was a lifelong passion, and he generously shared his knowledge with fellow collectors. Mark's expertise was invaluable to many, as he tirelessly helped educate others, preserving the rich legacy of drum history for future generations.
Mark Cooper became a household name in the vintage drum world thanks to his highly regarded website, Cooper’s Vintage Drums. A meticulously organized and richly detailed resource, the site offered an in-depth look at the history of American-made vintage drums, covering iconic brands like Leedy, Ludwig, Slingerland, and Kent. Spanning from 1923 to 1965, Mark's work broke down every aspect of drum construction, from lugs and strainers to finishes, providing both historical context and technical insight. The site was a treasure trove for drum enthusiasts, filled with rare photographs and expert commentary that helped preserve the legacy of these classic instruments.
Sadly, the Cooper’s Vintage Drums website was eventually hacked, and much of Mark's painstaking work was lost in the process. But Mark's legacy remains intact, as the remaining content was relocated to the Vintage Drum History site, where it continues to serve as an invaluable resource for collectors and historians alike. You can still explore Mark’s treasure trove of knowledge at www.vintagedrumhistory.com/guide.html - a must-read for anyone passionate about vintage drums and their rich history.
While there’s so much more to be said about Mark’s contributions to the world of drumming, perhaps the most fitting tributes come from those who knew him best—members of the vintage drum community who were touched by his passion, generosity, and expertise.
Friends Remembering Mark Cooper
John Aldridge
Mark "Whitey" Cooper was a one-of-a-kind guy in drum collecting. He discovered what he liked and pursued it, and the knowledge surrounding it, until he became the expert on Green Marine Pearl coverings and finishes in vintage drums - as well as the drums produced with those finishes. I only wish he'd had time to write down his collection of information so the rest of us could carry it on to the next generation. Rest in peace Mark. Your enthusiasm, willingness to share, and desire to find the history, and your giving personality will all be missed.
Bob Campbell
Mark was truly one of a kind — an amazing friend, always helpful, knowledgeable, friendly, and full of positive energy. Over the years, I bought several rare drums and vintage catalogs from him, and we quickly became close friends. I learned so much from his Cooper’s Vintage Drums website and countless conversations with him. Mark was a true perfectionist when it came to detail, and he made sure I got every description spot on! He was especially particular about the nuances between early gold hardware finishes, like De Luxe (Ludwig), Art Gold (Slingerland), and Nobby Gold (Leedy), ensuring I captured the distinctions correctly. He even graciously proofread several of my Modern Drummer/Not So Modern Drummer articles, always offering his sharp eye for detail and lending his generous time.
In mid-July 2024, Mark and I spoke on the phone for the last time. Even while in hospice care with a prognosis of one year to live, he was cracking jokes and refusing to let anyone feel sorry for him. He gave without expecting anything in return, always focusing on others. Mark sadly passed two weeks later. The void left by his passing feels so heavy… I wish we had more time together. As Mike Curotto will share, our Chicago Drum Show "hang" booth will continue as Cooper, Campbell & Curotto in Mark’s memory.
Bun E Carlos
Mark was always “Mister Sea Green” to older collectors. Between Mark and Dave Brown that’s where all the cool Slingerlands ended up! Mark was a master of restoration as vintage drums would show up with all sorts of damage after 70+ years. Whenever I came across Sea Green Radio Kings or Rose Marine wrapped drums, Mark was the guy to call. He readily shared his knowledge with us collectors. He never sold gear at rip-off prices, which was very standard in pre-Ebay days. I’ll always miss the guy.
Joe Chila
The best thing about the Chicago Drum Show hang has been meeting all the drum cats from all over the world. I didn't know Mark well, however, I did speak with him a few times over the years. He always had some great history in his collections and we shared some common music interests. His loss was so premature...a good guy for sure. He will be missed.
Rob Cook
Mark Cooper did not make it to every single Chicago Drum Show but he tried to attend every one that he could. He was one of the couple dozen or so "key figures" when he was in attendance. A model citizen of the vintage drum community, Mark was in his element when he was sharing his passion for, and deep knowledge of, vintage drums. Most of us have particular brands and eras that we are particularly passionate about, and we all knew that Mark was one of the "go to" guys if we had a Slingerland issue - especially if it was a green Slingerland! Mark was an "old soul": patient, kind, and generous. Dave Simms once wrote on the back of a show photo that he sent to me, "The drums will always be there - I come for the people." Mark Cooper epitomized the kind of person Dave was talking about - a true drum brother.
Mike Curotto
I met Mark at a Chicago Vintage Drum Show during the Friday load-in - where a lot of pre-show deals happen. My first purchase was a Slingerland Rose Pearl Artist Model and that was the beginning of a great friendship. Mark had a great sense of humor even as his health was failing. We had many very interesting discussions on certain drums and theories on certain models. Mark was a valuable source to the vintage drum community and contributed many great articles for Not So Modern Drummer and Modern Drummer magazines. Mark sold me some great Slingerland DuAll’s, Broadcasters and Radio Kings and a special Leedy Oriental Pearl (Abalone) Broadway Duall - there is a Mark Cooper wing in the Curotto Collection.
We have booth #24 at the Chicago Vintage Drum Show. The booth is the “Cooper, Campbell & Curotto” ("CCC") booth. In honor of Mark, Bob Campbell and I have agreed to leave Mark's name on the booth's name card. Rest in peace, my friend.
Joe Luoma
A gentleman. A good friend. I could speak volumes about how valuable I feel our friendship was over many years, but I suspect there are so many others who could do the same. Even with all of the struggles that Mark was going through, he remained positive, kind, and upbeat in so many of our long conversations. He set the precedent with his knowledge, his beautiful website, and his standards of quality in vintage drums. The vintage drum world was truly blessed to have Mark as a major player and supporter. He was such an exceptional collector, restorer, historian, drummer, and the guy could really sing, too. Most of all, he was one of the most gracious, humorous, and integrity-laden persons you could ever have the pleasure of meeting.
Mark - you will be missed dearly, my friend, though cherished memories and your stellar legacy will always remain. With you gone, there’s a big hole in the fabric of vintage drum collecting. I miss being able to kid you about all of your “green stuff”.
Steve Maxwell
Mark was such a nice guy and a wealth of information. I used to call him “Mr. Sea Green Pearl” for his love of that finish. Best part, Mark was always willing to share his knowledge freely with anyone interested. I truly miss him!
Joe “JoeyBoom” Mekler
Early in the “Boom” formative years of awareness of American vintage drums, my pursuit for knowledge led to “Coopers Vintage Drums”, referred from a site known as Drumforum. Shortly thereafter, I discovered the World War II era drums and became enamored with them. Mark’s website (Coopers Vintage Drums) was the utmost absolute gospel in that era (and others) of which fueled the fire for more research, discovery, and ultimately my decision to collect and specialize in that era. The first nervous phone conversation with him, being obviously one of the most important figures in the industry, at that time and into the future, revealed him to be warm, soft spoken, gracious, forthcoming and knowledgeable. He had a great big smile and a beautiful soul. He was, and will always be, well respected within the community. He is greatly missed.
Jim Messina
Mark Cooper was the very first person to contact me when I launched the Vintage Drums Talk website in 2010. He was so enthusiastic and accommodating, sending hundreds of never-before-seen photos of absolute “unobtanium” as far as rare vintage drums go. Mark said, "I CAN'T STOP MYSELF!”
Mark also had a great sense of humor, even when the joke was on him. There was the infamous line up of prominent collectors present for a group discussion. I instructed everyone to refer to the Slingerland "BABY DODDS MUFFLER" instead of its correct name, the "HAROLD R. DODD MUFFLER". Mark was a stickler for correct terminology and minutia. He could NOT let this go! Well, everyone did as instructed and mentioned the "BABY DODDS MUFFLER", and sure enough, Mark squirmed in his seat before finally jumping in and correcting everybody. Mark stuck to his guns and argued his point steadfastly until I finally let him in on the prank! You would think that he would've been embarrassed and humiliated but not Mark. He later thanked me, because then on, he gained respect from high level collectors and real acceptance into the upper echelon of the vintage drum community.
Mark Cooper had a profound influence on my soul and my outlook on life. Mark Cooper was literally the beginning, and the end of Vintage Drums Talk…and lived a life of pure SEA GREEN PEARL.
So, to all my drum friends: when you see a green vintage drum, think of Mark, for he will always be there in spirit. He so loved green drums.
