User:The C of E/cooper

Billy Cooper, also known as Billy The Trumpet is a cricket supporter, best known as the trumpet player for the Barmy Army.

Career
Cooper was educated at Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has a Bachelor of Music honours degree and a performer's diploma from the Royal Academy of Music and he plays in orchestras in West End theatre shows.

Barmy Army
Cooper became involved with the Barmy Army in 2004 after following England on a tour of the West Indies and he accidently left his trumpet in a taxi in Barbados. It was later discovered by someone in the Barmy Army who was also at the same game Cooper was going to. When Cooper asked for it to be returned, the person asked for him to prove it was his by playing it. Cooper then played The Great Escape theme tune, which led to some of the Barmy Army offering to pay his air fare if he would join them on England's tour of South Africa.

At matches Cooper usually plays theme tunes from popular television programmes such as the theme tunes from Blackadder and Only Fools and Horses. Cooper also plays songs such as The Lion Sleeps Tonight and YMCA.

During the 2010-11 Ashes series, Cooper played Jerusalem from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge early in the morning of the last Test game of the series. During the last delivery of the Ashes series, Cooper played The Last Post.

Controversies
Cooper's actions have sometimes led him into trouble. In 2006, Cooper was thrown out of The Gabba and arrested for playing the Neighbours theme tune on his trumpet during the 2006-07 Ashes series. However in 2010, Cricket Australia gave Cooper special dispensation to be the only person allowed into The Gabba with a musical instrument.

In 2009, he was banned from attending a Test match at Headingley Stadium along with Barmy Army leader, Vic Flowers.