Houston, Texas – Derek Cooper is a ‘normal’ Houstonian by most accounts. He works as an engineer, he is a dad to twin boys, Kai and Max, and a husband to his supportive wife, Lauren. Legacy Man, however, is Derek’s alter ego, and he is anything but average.
“I just started having these thoughts of gratefulness and gratitude and I had this feeling like something big is coming for me,” Derek said when asked exactly how Legacy Man came to be.
Legacy Man embodies positivity in the Heights community. He’s performed for big crowds at White Linen, Lights in the Heights, and anywhere that’ll have him. Any place that needs a boost of optimism, he is sure to show up, he’s kind of like a superhero in that sense.
“Sometimes you’re in a deficit of that positivity or light in your life, maybe you had a rough day, week, you’ve had serious things happen, you’ve had adversity and other people are kind of beaming with light on that particular day. You get around those people and you kind of reach out and borrow their energy a little bit,” Derek explained about Legacy Man’s mode of operation.
Legacy Man’s approach highlights the importance of community support and connection.
“We’re built to love, and love is all you need,” he said.
Cooper had and still has an affinity for the Japanese culture.
“When my kids were little, I was determined to teach them Japanese,” he admitted.
He grew up listening to Japanese 80s and 90s rock as well as synth pop. So, when he decided to create his own brand of Legacy Man music, it made sense to stick with what he loved.
“I prefer to sing in Japanese to be honest with you, it’s more fun, and it always rhymes somehow. Somehow you can always rhyme in Japanese and if you can’t, finish it in English,” he laughed.
Legacy Man’s next gig is a free show at Lodge 88 on October 25th. You can purchase his signature neon merch by clicking here. You can listen to his music on Spotify here; but he’s also planning to release a 5 track EP before the year’s end. (He’s speaking that one into existence and I have a feeling it’s going to work out)