Stoney Cooper and the Clinch Mountain Boys
Dale Troy Cooper (October 16, 1918 – March 22, 1977), known professionally as Stoney Cooper, was an American country star and member of the Grand Ole Opry. He was a master of the fiddle and the guitar.
Cooper was the son of Kenny and Stella (Raines) Cooper of Harman, Randolph County, West Virginia. His family was among the first settlers of Randolph and Pendleton counties, and these roots in the Appalachian Mountains had an impact upon his music.
While in high school, Cooper was a member of the Leary Family Singers. In 1939, he married Wilma Lee Leary. They became Wilma Lee and Stoney Cooper, one of the biggest country music acts of the 1940s through the 1960s. They had one daughter, Carol Lee Cooper.
From 1947-1957 they were cast members of the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia, performing with the band known as The Clinch Mountain Clan. In 1948, Cooper signed a recording contract with Columbia with the help of Fred Rose that lasted to 1955. In 1954, Cooper joined the Grand Ole Opry.
In addition to Columbia Records, Cooper recorded for Rich-R-Tone, Hickory Records, and Decca.