The vintage drum collecting world mourns the passing of Mark “Whitey” Cooper, a great friend and colleague, as well as one of the most important experts on many aspects of drums and drum set history. Mark was one of those guys that every one, and I mean every one, liked and loved. The first time that I met Mark at a drum show I knew that he would be one of my favorite people. Instant comrades.
Mark suffered a long time from cancer. He posted on his Facebook page in early July ‘24 that the doctors had told him that there was nothing more they could do and that he had a year to live. The outpouring of supportive comments was huge, in the hundreds. He had many friends. Less than a month later he was gone. Too soon, too soon.
Before Mark died, this comment on that Facebook post from fellow drum collector and restorer, Joe Mekler, speaks for us all who knew Mark. Well said, Joe.
“Mark,
May I please just express right from the beginning through to this very day, how much of an inspiration, a mentor, an educator and friend you WERE AND ARE to not only me but countless others. You are loved, respected, revered, and known worldwide and are considered as one of the most important knowledgable collectors, talented restoration artists and vintage drum informational references available today. You are kind, thoughtful and your smile and calm demeanor always radiates positive energy passion and the epitome of the heartfelt brotherhood of our community. Your health struggles and battles over these years have been spiritually felt by all of us who know and love you…I can only offer wishes for comfort and the expression of how wonderful and amazing you are my good friend. . during these times and the future. . . . .
I love you Mark” —Joe Mekler
I called Mark in 2020 to ask him about the future of his Guide to Vintage Drums site. It had been bothering me that so many of us older guys and gals have sites and Facebook pages devoted to our drum collections but have no plan for preserving them in posterity, and Mark was the first person I called about this. I know that one of his sites had vanished into the ether for some reason out of his control. He agreed to let me post all the information on his Guide to Vintage Drums site on Not So Modern Drummer in his column about him and his collection. This was during the Covid shut down and I had a lot of time to work on it and got four sections up online but didn’t finish once normal life resumed in the Fall. I regret that now. I’m going to resume posting the rest of his pictures and dating information, but I’m worried about his current site being lost before I can finish. If anyone knows who I should contact about helping keep the site and his domain paid for going forward, please let me know.
You will be remembered and missed, Mark.
Also if anyone else wants to preserve pictures and information about their vintage drum collection and knowledge on the Not So Modern Drummer site, please contact me. I am making plans for it so stay on line in perpetuity. George Lawrence, George@NotSoModernDrummer.com
