As the sun set on the Hooper family home in the 1970s, you would frequently find Danny Hooper, his parents and three sisters belting out some of their favourite tunes around the kitchen table.  Music meant entertainment for the Hoopers, who lived on a remote station in the mid north of South Australia.  This early and joyful introduction to music planted the seed for Danny, but it was his Dad’s old Maton guitar that sprouted a lifelong passion. 

At the age of ten, Danny began guitar lessons with his Dad and it wasn’t long before he strummed his first song, Banks of the Ohio.  As a teenager, Danny’s flair for performing came to the fore and he was often called upon to liven up a party with the song Rock n’ Robin.  He later started a rock band with a few mates, called Niteshift.  It was love that inspired Danny to begin song writing at 18 years of age.  When he sang his first song, You’re the one for me, to his girlfriend Lea, her teary response sparked a passion for song writing that has since reaped much recognition.  Together with Lea, Danny began entering country music competitions in 1987.  They won numerous Duo awards and went on to record an album in 1992, entitled Talkin’ Bout Love.

In 1994, Danny got serious.  He entered the Toyota Star Maker competition in Tamworth and was selected as a Top Ten Grand Finalist.  In the same year he entered the Australian Songwriters Association (ASA) National Song Competition in Melbourne and won the Acoustic Section and Song of the Year with I Left You.  Despite this early success, music was placed on the back burner due to the arrival of Danny and Lea’s first son Jace, followed by siblings Courteney and Tom.  Danny’s main occupation became that of House Dad, although he continued to perform at weekend gigs throughout the state. 
It wasn’t until ten years later that Danny Hooper once again became a name to look out for in the song-writing arena, thanks to a swag of awards:

2004
Winner - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Country’ category
Winner - Song of the Year competition in Houston Texas for ‘Country’category 

2005
Winner - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Spirit of Australia’ category

2006
Runner Up - Best Male Vocal for MusicAid National Music Award 
Runner Up - Best Songwriter for MusicAid National Music Awards

2007
Finalist - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Country’ category
Finalist - Gympie Muster Maton Talent Search (Top 3)
Finalist - IMA’s Independent Music Awards (US based) Country Song Of The Year (Top 5)
Finalist - Musicoz Awards Country Artist Of The Year (Top 10)
Finalist - ACRA’s Australian Country Recording Awards for ‘New Talent’ and ‘Male Artist’

2008
Finalist - TSA Salute in the Songwriter Awards ‘New Songwriter of the Year’
Finalist - Southern Stars Country Music Independent Awards for ‘Rising Male Star’
Finalist  - TIARA Awards for ‘Male Vocalist Of The Year’
Finalist - VIC & National CM Awards for ‘Best New Talent’ 
Finalist - NT Country Songwriting Awards for ‘Best Contemporary Song’
Semi-finalist - International Songwriting Competition for ‘Country Song Of The Year’
Finalist - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Country' category
Winner - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Ballad’ category
Winner - SA Achiever Award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Country Music’

2009
Finalist - Unisong International Songwriting Contest  (Top 20)
Finalist - Southern Stars Country Independent Music Awards for ‘Male Vocal’
Finalist - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Country’ category (2 songs)
Winner - (ASA) Australian Songwriters Awards for ‘Spiritual’ category

2010
Runner up Overall - Show me the Music Competition         Winner - Show me the Music Competition 'Country' category Finalist - 100% Music Songwriting Contest 'Acoustic' category

During a year-long family trip around Australia in 2005, Danny was inspired to reignite his dream to become a household name in Australian country music. He secured Rod McCormack as a producer and on his return recorded his debut solo album, The Legacy, released in 2007.  Featuring 12 original songs, the album name and its title track are a tribute to his father and a signal to the legacy of music Danny will pass onto his own children.  

Danny’s debut single, Every Reason, worked its way onto playlists throughout the country and made #37 on the Top 100 Country Hits chart.
The accompanying video clip also made Top 40 on the CMC (Country Music Channel) paytv network.   His single Already Gone proved a success with #39 on the Top 100 Country Hits chart, and filmclip under the direction of Ross Wood for the track Heartache, making his second chart success on the CMC video chart, reaching #36.  

In April 2010 Danny released a new video clip on CMC called iPod in my ear which made #34 on the Top 50 chart.

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click here to go to Danny’s Myspace 

    Birthday                18th of January

    Star Sign              Capricorn

    Fav Colour            Deep Purple
                                   I used to hate purple because 
                                   I was made to wear purple                                            flares and lavender shirt to 
                                   ‘Free Dress’ days at High                                            School.  I’m over that now.
                                   No really........I am!!!

    Fav Food               Definitely Pizza (any kind)
                                  

    Fav Drink             I love red wine (Shiraz mostly)
                                   (probably should say water)

    Fav Vehicle          Commodore                                           

    Hobbies                 Music still.

    Likes                     People who are positive and                                            cheerful.       

    Dislikes                People who put other people                                        down.  That really pisses me                                        off!

    Heroes                  My Parents.  My mum worked                                   her butt off to raise four kids on                                   the smell of an oily rag (so to
                                  speak)
                                  My Dad gave me my future.  
                                  He also worked bloody hard for                                   the sake of his family.

    Life Motto            Have a crack! You never know.

    Fav Holiday         I love camping.  I don’t care                                           where as long as I’m in good
                                  company.
                                  My two favourite spots in                                           Australia are:  All of Tassie and                                   the Kimberleys.  Oh, and the                                       West Coast of Australia.                                               Awesome!!! 
                                  I guess that makes three.

    Music Influence  My Dad.  As a kid he was the                                       only form of music I heard.  As                                   a teenager I was influenced by                                       John Denver, Neil Diamond and                                   Roy Orbison.
                                  As an adult it has been quite                                           vast.  Keith Urban, Chris Isaac,                                   Robbie Williams are just some 
                                  of my influences, and all for                                           different reasons.
    

    Most important
    People                  My wife Lea and our three                                           fantastic kids, Jace, Courteney                                       and Tom.  They are my greatest                                   reason for wanting to, and                                               having to, succeed.
                                  Lea is hugely supportive of my                                   dreams and goals, in fact, she                                       keeps me on target.  Not                                               everyone can boast a partner 
                                  like that and I love her very                                           much.