In Memory Of Steve Cooper

Steve Warren passed away yesterday. For generations of radio listeners on the Front Range and around the country, he was known on the air as Steve Cooper.

Coop was a legendary broadcaster with a powerful voice and an incredible gift for storytelling. Off the air, Steve Warren was humble, kind, thoughtful, and intelligent.

One of the many lives he touched was mine. By the time I met Coop, he was already an icon. Raised in Waterloo, Iowa, his career took off in Tucson and later took him to Colorado Springs, Denver, Detroit, Green Bay, Fort Collins, Madison, Seattle, and Wyoming. Over the years, he worked for some of the best radio stations in the country.

As a teenager in Denver, I would listen to "You Can't Win This" every night on KBPI. Thanks to Coop, I can still remember what musical key a bee buzzes in. In 1992, Ozzy Osbourne came to McNichols Arena on the first of several farewell tours. Coop was broadcasting live from the parking lot and I won a keychain for answering a trivia question about David Lee Roth's junk. That night, I decided I wanted to be on the radio.

22 years later, I had the opportunity to work with Coop here at Townsquare Media. Watching him meticulously structure every break felt like taking a graduate-level broadcasting class. He was an expert wordsmith with flawless delivery; truly a master of his craft.

Behind the scenes, he was down to earth, exuding the confidence that comes from decades of experience, without the ego. And his stories were epic. If there was a rock star in the '80s and '90s, Coop interviewed them. Some of them still owe him money.

I've been blessed to work with many talented broadcasters over the years. None were better than Steve Cooper. As long as there is still rock and roll on the radio, his legend will live on.