RIP Charles “Charlie” Cooper (Telefon Tel Aviv)
BIG UPDATE: After reading this article, please read my follow up on the Charlie Cooper situation: Update on the Charlie Cooper Situation. Also, when you’re done reading these pages, please scroll down to the comment section and read elephant-in-room’s comment about a Josh Eustis interview last year about the suicide-perspective of the new album.
In the “indie” music circles in Chicago, news is spreading quickly at the passing of musician Charles “Charlie” Cooper of the band Telefon Tel Aviv. Update: Some of the information below is quoted from newspapers or blogs, with information updates coming as quick as I read them. I will update the article if changes are necessary. I would like this article to have ALL the information available, so please leave a comment below if you have something to share or contribute.
The situation was first reported on January 25, 2009 in the STNG newswires. They reported that Cooper went missing Wednesday after a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. The missing persons case was taken up by Chicago Police Department Grand Central Area detectives of the Special Victims Unit, who at the time believed that Cooper may have returned to his home state of Louisiana, where he co-founded his band during the late nineties in New Orleans.
According to the police investigation, Cooper had visited Louisiana for a month in October, 2008. Cooper was staying with a friend near the 1400 block of North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago when the altercation with his girlfriend occurred. Cooper then left the residence before midnight on January 21, 2009.
After leaving, he had no contact with friends or family, and had not been to work since he went missing. He left the residence dressed in a black nylon parka with fur trim on its hood, black jeans, a t-shirt and a navy blue v-neck sweater, his vehicle was also missing (a 1998 gray or silver Toyota Camry 4-door with a license plate number of 5091378).
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I just recently heard of Charlie’s passing. I am an acquantaince of his from New Orleans and have fond memories of what a character Charlie was.
I don’t think you did any injustice to his memory by simply reporting the facts as they were provided to you at the time of publishing. I am curious if you have heard any confirmations from the ME office or police on any additional details surrounding his death. It is quite clear from this thread the family is keeping their peace, as they are entitled to.
Hopefully through all the back and forth nonsense on this thread people will remember that the world lost a dear soul in Charlie, troubled as he may have been.
I knew Charlie personally for a few years. He was a fantastic fellow and never once struck me as suicidal. Regardless of this point, or the point that his death was most probably accidental, the only comment that makes you ignorant is “I have supposed friends and family (the very same that Cooper ran from in a time of need!) who castigate me for publishing the facts as related in the public record.” Assuming this was even an actual suicide, your logic in think that somehow because Charlie might not have asked his family for help that makes what you are doing alright, is severely flawed. In fact, it makes you a douche bag. In case you don’t know, the real definition of a douche bag is someone who is so ignorant that when they try to do good, it actually causes more harm. And of course, because you are so ignorant, your responses of “It bothers me not.” simply shows, not only that you aren incompetant as a journalist, but incompetant as an investigator as well. Let us hope YOU learn something, because you clearly have many lessons ahead of you.
i have been so disgusted with how the news of Charlie Cooper’s death has been handled. his own brothers-you fellow men-you turn your backs on him? can you feel for him? this man expressed his emotions, valid emotions in a culture that is against a man’s soul, against THE soul. he shared this with you and he never got to feel the beauty of having his work praised. he’ll never get married, or have children, or see another sunrise but you can assume you know the truth-truth you’ve been fed in this so-called state regardless of this. do you even know your own truths?
you assume that this was self-hate but have you ever delved that deeply into yourself? you do not know anything about the process of expressing art, yet you’ll pay a few bucks to listen to his music, not asking what a person went through to create it. blaming those that loved him will not ease your dis-ease, the publishing of a fight with his girlfriend only contributes to the lie. perhaps she was the greatest bond he had in life, the one he needed to push away at a certain time.
you say you are against the state but this man stood for all that would burn the state down. he did something no man in my time has had the courage to do, he felt genuine emotion. he stood to the emotions within, a courageous act-these times in which a man’s soul is only of value if it can be sold or turned into an iphone application. to immolate oneself is to set yourself on fire. each performance and lyric from Charlie has been a bright light in this darkness we call a democratic/capitalist society. he braved to “be” and dared to feel.
the greatest artists are never known in their own time, that is their gift and curse to bear. he endured his darkness and others do as well but he did something amazing-he didn’t hurt others, he didn’t take from others-he gave back through his art.
this was a beautiful human being and a truly great artist. instead of asking what is wrong with him, ask what is wrong with us? why couldn’t we as a society keep him here? why do we not fight for a society in which a great human being like that can live? what is wrong with us?