from Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on lubbockonline.com

When it comes time to make those important decisions in life, follow your heart down the path it leads you and forget what everybody else says. It’s your life, said Texas country performer Johnny Cooper, and it’s your destiny and it’s your journey — nobody else’s.

When he was younger, the 22-year-old country rocker had a lot of people in the music industry telling him how he should run his business. He ignored the advice and now he’s glad that he did because a few of the guys who were doing the preaching are no longer on the scene. Not only that, but staying true to his vision has really paid off.

So, are they still criticizing him now that he’s a little older and a lot more successful?

“When I was younger, yeah, but now that I’m still here, I think they respect that a little more, especially the guys who had seen me play when I was 15 or 16,” he said. “You know, they thought that it was cute and wouldn’t last long, but, hey, I’m still here. I’ve seen bands that were here when I started and are no longer playing and it gives me a little bit of drive to say that I feel like I’m doing the right thing.”

So far Cooper has garnered some serious recognition, as his first album, “Live at the Pub,” was named “Best Live CD in 2006” by the Payne County Line Oklahoma Music Awards. They also named him “Texas Entertainer of the Year” for 2006-2007. His album “Ignition” lit up the Texas country scene in 2007 by selling more than 25,000 copies, with every single from the album dominating many of the top slots on the Texas Music Chart.

His song, “Don’t Feel Like That Anymore,” is also featured on the music video game Rock Band.

So, if the critics were laughing then, they certainly aren’t now.

Cooper uses his latest CD, “Follow,” to deliver a message to his critics, especially with track 5, “Bring Me Down.” He uses a bluesy vibe and harsh words to thumb his nose at the guys who said he wouldn’t make it.

“Follow,” which was released in 2009 under Tenacity Records, was produced by Dexter Green and Glenn Rosenstein. Green has not only produced rock sensation Collective Soul, but has also worked with some bands on the Texas country/red dirt scene including No Justice and the Bart Crow Band. Rosenstein brings a lot of experience to the soundboard as he has production and engineering credits that include, Ziggy Marley, James Brown, Talking Heads and Sting.

“Dex is a good friend of mine and I met him through a couple different people,” said Cooper. “I felt he definitely got where I was trying to go with this record, and so I thought he would be the best bet as our producer.”

“At the same time I met Glenn, and Glenn has worked with tons of people, I mean people who are just way in the upper echelons compared to where I’m at with my music,” Cooper said.

“I just felt like he would be a good person to be on the team in a way to just keep everybody on track a little bit. Me and Dexter have truly, you know, it’s easy for us to get lost in the music and get creative and that’s a good thing, but having Glenn there was a help because he would bring everything back on track and get us back to what we needed to be focused on.”

Now Cooper is focused on his next project, which he said will be a live album quickly followed up with a studio album.

Cooper also said that he titled his latest CD “Follow” because he wants his fans to tag along with him as he grows musically and promises he’s going to keep them rockin’ and out of their seats during every performance. But when it comes to his future plans and his music, Cooper isn’t following anything but his heart and gut instinct.

“Everybody has their own path and you have to make the right choices and the right decisions,” said Cooper. “You’ve got to propel yourself or become stagnant

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