COOLEY, SPADE
(1910–1969)
COOLEY, SPADE (b. Donnell Clyde C., Pack Saddle Creek, Okla., December 17, 1910–November 23, 1969) Cooley was a pioneering fiddler/bandleader who led one of the biggest and most popular WESTERN SWING bands. Cooley was descended from two generations of FIDDLE players, so it's not surprising that he played for his first dance at the age of eight. His family relocated from Oklahoma to southern California, where the young Cooley performed with Western-flavored groups, including JIMMY WAKELY 's…