“Back in the early '70s, when Susie and I were first married, we had a little house that we rented, and we used to have parties. People would come, and they wouldn't leave. I used to get so tired. I'd put on the Stanley Brothers, 'Songs for the Good People,' and the house would clear in five minutes. It was not liked; it was alien. It was weird.”

American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer

Ry Cooder is an American musician, songwriter, film score composer, record producer, and writer. He is known for a career that spans several musical roles, and for the slide guitar style that became his signature. He is also noted for his interest in traditional music and for working with traditional musicians from many countries. That range has shaped a body of work that moves between performance, composition, production, and writing, with a steady focus on music rooted in older forms and local traditions.