East Anglia's Leading Rock & Roll Band

Paul Cooper

Vocals & Tambourine

 Paul’s singing career started in the choir at Swaffham Junior School and then Hamond’s Grammar School Swaffham, Norfolk.  He became a rock fan very early, getting into Elvis and other rockers like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis and was an early exponent of the air guitar. 

 This was followed in the 60’s by what has become a lifetime appreciation of Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell and a taste for the more R & B side of the British '60’s revolution with a liking for bands such as The Animals, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and the Yardbirds.  It was at this time that he decided that all musical instruments were too hard, except the microphone and tambourine – “skills” he has retained to this day.  

 At university, Paul was in several folk ensembles, doing Dylan covers mostly.  His claim to fame from that time was to share the stage, briefly, with Julie Felix. 

 Paul didn’t allow his career in the Ford Motor Company to interfere too severely with the more important things in life and in 1969 he teamed up with others to form The Dealer Planners.  This ensemble put on cabarets and shows for staff and dealers and developed a highly successful rock ‘n’ roll slot. 

 Paul’s compulsion to perform continued whilst with Ford in Italy and Australia and he could be seen quite regularly at dealer functions and staff events.  In Italy he developed a particular flair for Neapolitan songs, especially when he’d had a few drinks. 

 Returning to England and moving to Clare in Suffolk led to the famed 1995 impromptu “gig” at Stoke College and meeting up with Tony Eaton - the rest is history.  

 As a complete contrast and antidote to Jurassic Rock, Paul is also the singer for Selion Jazz, a disparate group of musicians, as most jazz bands are.  The repertoire consists of jazz standards and the light fantastic – a mix of George Melly, Fred Astaire, Frank Sinatra and Bryan Ferry!

 Paul’s musical tastes are extremely broad, encompassing not only the repertoires of the bands he sings with, but also extend to opera (especially Wagner and Mozart) and all forms of classical music. 

 Having worked as the Business Development Director of the Institute of Customer Service for the last few years, Paul has recently moved into semi-retirement and now works as a consultant.  This new role allows him to devote his time to the important things in life and he looks forward to the increasing number of gigs as Jurassic Rock’s  reputation spreads far and wide. 

 Paul is a larger than life character and this is all too apparent during the band’s performances.  He makes a significant contribution to decisions concerning the choice of material and the occasional incisive remark sometimes resolves problems associated with arrangements, but Paul’s major contribution is playing live, when his ability to develop a rapport with the audience is a major contribution to the band’s slick performances.  His vocal range complements Tony’s, giving Jurassic Rock its broad spectrum of material, which allows the band to play successfully at such a wide variety of functions.

After 14 years, Paul left Jurassic Rock  in October 2009.