https://www.facebook.com/randall.cooke.33/ https://business.facebook.com/randyallenfan/
top of page

Behind The Music (continued)

It was a great experience to be involved in a full production recording session. I went on to work with Dick McVey and Judy in Nashville and hone my skills. Judy introduced me to "Marc Alan" who wrote many hits for the artist who were established and up and coming. Me and Marc sat down and penned a few songs that would later find them selves on another Album.

Music would find its self on hold again as I struggled to find musicians that were looking for the same interest. Not having the financial backing of the Majors, I counted on my own income. My family always came first before my music. If it was meant to be it would be. In 2008, me and my partner were on our way back from a trip and I received a phone call from a man by the name Bruce Goodwin. He stated he was a producer who worked with KMA Records out of Nashville and heard the recordings from Big Mama's I had recorded. He wanted to setup a meeting at the label to discuss a record deal.

​

I went home and talked it over with my wife and we decided to make the 5 hour trip. We arrived at KMA Records where we met Bruce and Keith Bradford the owner of KMA Records. We talked about music, what it was like being in the music business and the challenges it posed. We also talked about where I was heading musically and what I wanted to accomplish. I told Bruce and Keith I didn't want to get tied up in contracts that don't also benefit the artist and  that the music business has changed for the better to be more independent artist friendly. Still couldn't get Traditional Radio play, but the internet was evolving and making our reach better for the good with social media outlets. 

​

So, they asked if I was interested in making an album on there label KMA which I would be signed to as an artist on there label for 2 years. So, I did the leg work to check these guys out with some reputable people I already knew and a few weeks later we signed on to the label. Me and Bruce looked for songs to record and also I wrote some songs with Marc that would make the list to be recorded. 

​

A year was drawing near and the process was lengthy as we were closing in on the final writings and songs we were searching for. Then I'd be hit with some devastating news that my Mom had Cancer. The fight to get everything ready to record was on the back burner. A couple months passed and I got a call from Bruce and we talked for about an hour and he suggested we gat back at it to complete this CD so my Mom could have a chance to hear it. I went to Nashville and sat down with Marc and we wrote a song to commemorate my Mom called "Thank You For Being There For Me" I wanted to say and tell her thanks for all she had done even though life threw some crazy things her way, but she still managed through the toughest of times. 

​

All the songs we had were ready for Pre-Production and we stepped into the recording studio with some really amazing players. I don't remember all of them, sorry for the ones I left out ( Keith Bradford - Bass, Mike Bradford on Drums, Dan Shafer - Guitars and Don Riggins on Steel. We got all the music down for each song of a Ten track album and it was amazing. I shared the process with my Mom as we recorded the whole process. I flew to Florida to meet Bruce and his engineer who would record the vocals and finish the production on the album. In June 2010 the album was complete and as soon as I had the first copy I took it straight to Chattanooga Tn where my Mom lived and handed her the first copy. As we listened to it together I could tell she was over joyed. On July 30, 2010 she passed away loosing her battle to cancer. I took a brake as it was a hard time for me. In 2011 Bruce called me up to see how things was going and he said it would be good for me to get back in the saddle and put my energy into what I loved to do and thats what my Mom would want as well. We planned a concert in late September as a release party. I call up my good friend Dick and asked if he could produce the show for me and he was pleased to do so. 

​

In 2013, I signed with publisher Tate Music. I put together another band and started working between North and South Carolina doing local shows as a cover/original band. still struggling to find the right musicians. I lucked up on some great talent though and we had a show everyone wanted to see. In 2015 the band would once again find its troubles and me and a couple others left in the band tried to reassemble, but I just didn't have it in me to fight the process. In 2016 I decided to just record music and release it and if people wanted it, I'd point them to where they could find it. Dec. 30, 2016 I found myself in rough shape. My heart started giving me issues though I had known I had issues since 2008. 

​

My cardiologist would put me out of work and found myself wondering how it would work out. Late August 2017  I was home and went to check the mail and went into Ventricular Tachycardia. I thought it was all over for me. I proceeded to see specialist and hoped they could figure it all out and had a device implanted to protect my heart for the rhythmic dangers. Over the course of the months I continued to dabble in my music and had made a couple trips prior to the issues to Nashville and recorded with Mark Mosley and Jay Vern. Its Ironic that a few months after recording "Saturday Backroad" with Mark Mosley, He would have his stroke. 

​

Me and Jay stepped in his studio and recorded "Tell Me" - "Crazy" and "Alone In Memphis". after those recordings, I found myself in health stress and decided to take it easy. I recorded a couple tracks in my Home Studio I had pitched to me through my music sources and got my hands on the studio mix's and recorded them. 

​

2018 I was apart of the Josie Music Awards for my song 'TELL ME'  modern/contemporary song of the year. Didn't get the award but it was a blast to be apart of and its great that they honor and recognize the independent artist. 

bottom of page