CooperTalk Podcast: Interviewing The Way You Like It

 Elaine Appleton Grant, the creator and host of the Sound Judgment podcast has been on a quest to identify the universal skills of a host that she calls "hostiness." 

There's a man in South Jersey named Steve Cooper who, I think, incorporates those skills of "hostiness." Amidst the onslaught of celebrity interview shows, Steve Cooper's CooperTalk podcast has survived and thrived for more than 1,000 episodes. 

Steve may not have the name recognition of a Dax Shepard or Joe Rogan, but make no mistake, he's one of the best podcast interviewers in the business. 

Why would Steve have such formidable interviewing qualities? In my opinion, it's because Steve has done a lot -- from hand model to stand-up comedian, and fax machine salesman to writer.

What's CooperTalk about? It's an interview podcast and "Coop" interviews musicians and actors of note.

 On his show, Steve talks to actors and musicians.

"I've interviewed 60 members of the Rock N' Roll Hall Of Fame," Steve says with pride.

Recently, Steve had Thomas Dolby ("She Blinded Me with Science" 1982) as a guest on CooperTalk. On the episode, Dolby tells Steve about founding Beatnik, a software company that developed polyphonic ringtone software and the famous Nokia tune.

Steve has welcomed Mick Mars from Motley Crue, Greg Hawkes from The Cars, Rich Redmond, drummer for Jason Aldean, Greg Camp from Smash Mouth, and Ross Valory from Journey.

"My biggest get would be if I could have Springsteen on CooperTalk," Steve admits.

In over 1,000 episodes, Steve has also interviewed hundreds of well-known actors, from Penelope Ann Miller, who played Nancy Reagan in the recently released film, Reagan, Greg Grunberg from Felicity, Heroes, and Star Wars, Tom Arnold from True Lies, Anson Williams from Happy Days, Jill Whelan from The Love Boat, Tommy Chong from Cheech & Chong, and David Duchovny from The X Files.

Steve's opening line of every episode: "I'm only as hip as my guests" is the kind of signature line many podcasters would die for.

Why is Steve such a strong interviewer?

First, Steve's career as a successful stand-up comedian demonstrates his quick wit, sharp mind, and an eye for the absurd in life. These are essential traits for a successful podcast host. 

Second, Steve is an excellent listener. His shows follow an organic path where he reacts to his guests' responses and then follows-up to probe deeper. 

Third, Steve has an insatiable curiosity that drives his interviews so that listeners receive more than a superficial sense of the guest.

"Some podcasters worry more about the equipment than the content," Steve observes. "I concentrate on my guests."

When I asked Steve about his interviewing strategy on his podcasts, he tells me: "Preparation for a podcast interview is a delicate balance. If you over prepare, you become more focused on the questions you want to ask than responding to the answers of your guests. If you under prepare, then you seem like you don't care."

"I try to see my interviews as organic talks," Steve notes. "I listen intently to my guests and then react accordingly."

Of course, Steve's favorite topic is podcasting. CooperTalk has passed the 1,000th episode mark and is going strong. For decades, Steve has had a strong presence of Internet Radio with his show.

Steve's ability to attract well-known Hollywood talent to his show can be attributed to his years spent in L.A., in the entertainment scene and his superb networking talent.

Steve is also influential in the South Jersey / Philadelphia podcasting scene. He's a mentor to many local podcasters and hosts a local business roundtable podcast called The Coop Tank, which is recorded at Suite Recording, with Joe Gangemi as his sound engineer and "gabfest partner" at the beginning of the show.

Indie Podcaster Steve Cooper may not be a household name as an interviewer, but he can sure bring the house down with his skills.

Check out CooperTalk.