Country Living with Cooper Boone

A talented country artist, clinical psychologist, country store owner, chicken farmer and an online cooking show host, Cooper Boone can certainly be dubbed country music’s newest “Renaissance Man.”

Hollywood Music Awards’ Best Country Artist last year, Boone is certainly a busy man. According to the practicing psychotherapist, “I think most people are a lot of things. But a lot of us let fear drive our lives so we get stuck in ruts. I’ve never really been that kind of person. I had a Granny who always believed in me and my dreams…no matter what others might say.”

The Minnesota native grew up in a small farming community along with four siblings, a brother and three sisters. His father certainly seems to have influenced the diverse interests that the younger Boone developed as he grew up. The elder Boone was a teacher, a winemaker, and a tennis pro—an odd combination of interests which helped mold Boone’s values. “There were several things being instilled in me,” Boone shares, “One was loyalty to the people who care about you, the other was fearlessness. My family were perpetually curious people and I definitely carry that spirit.”

Growing up, however, music was only one of his many interests. He devoted his time and effort to earning his degree, eventually pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology, which he has been practicing for the past decade.

When asked to describe his sound, Boone says, “New Country with a roosty flavor.” There is humor evident in his self-titled album. But there are also mature, positive songs that provide a glimpse into Boone’s other worlds. “Yes,” the album’s most heartfelt offering, is a song that deals with having the courage to open yourself up to the possibilities life has to offer. It is a concept which he has tried to instill in his patients. The singer-songwriter relates, “I’m really practicing what I preach to my counseling clients, where I encourage people to take risks and pursue happiness. Often that requires you to take leaps in new directions. And this is just me living my word. It’s about having courage to go for what you want in life.”

“Cowboy Kitchen,” Boone’s online cooking show where he invites guests to help him cook and then sings a song after each episode, is no overly sophisticated show with difficult recipes. The show is fun and is filled with familiar country recipes we have learned to love as children. Recipes have included “Sweet Piggies,” “Roasted Corn Salad,” “Sweet and Savory Corn Muffins,” and “Candied Pecans.”

With all that the multifaceted artist has accomplished, sharing his music seems to be Boone’s greatest success. Asked what has been the best compliment he has ever received, the star states, “My greatest compliment was ‘I hated country until I heard you’.”

See Cooper Boone live as he rocks at The Country Living Fair, Columbus (Ohio) on September 18 and 19 and the Harvest Festival, Bethel Woods, Bethel, New York on October 11.

For more information about Boone, his gigs, and “Cowboy Kitchen,” check out http://www.cooperboone.com/.