ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bernadette Cooper: The Story Keeps Growing
Bernadette Cooper has never waited for someone else to write her story.
Fresh out of college, the producer, composer, arranger, and entertainer made history as the first African American woman to form a multiracial, all-woman band and lead it to double-platinum success. That band was Klymaxx. Signed to Solar Records, the group broke through with “The Men All Pause,” a hit Cooper co-wrote. It was the beginning of a career that would move from the stage to the studio, the screen, and now the page.
Under Sylvia Rhone's leadership, Atlantic Records signed Cooper to a three-act production deal. She created Madame X, whose “Just That Type of Girl” became a Top 5 Billboard hit. EMI Publishing signed her to an exclusive publishing agreement, while MCA Records signed her as a solo artist. Her acclaimed album Drama According to Bernadette Cooper delivered the unforgettable single “I Look Good.”
And Cooper kept creating. She wrote and produced for other artists, contributed music to film soundtracks, and penned “The Body Beautiful,” the opening musical monologue for To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Bette Midler opened a tour with a musical monologue Cooper wrote. Klymaxx even became part of the comedy conversation: Halle Berry portrayed Cooper in a Saturday Night Live spoof, and Emma Stone later parodied one of her music videos.
Her imagination has never been limited to music. Cooper owned Cooper's Limousine in California and later opened Museum68 Boutique on the East Coast. She eventually returned to California to care for her grandmother and mother, but her creative work continued. She has made new music with DJ Osunlade and, in 2024, released “Jealous Bitch” with original Mary Jane Girls Maxi and Cheri. She continues to perform as Klymaxx feat. Bernadette Cooper, bringing the songs she wrote and produced back to the stage.
Now, add novelist to her résumé.
Cooper is preparing to share her memoir, The Birth of Diva, followed by an ambitious collection of fiction: A Cry No One Heard, The Strokes, The Beautiful Killers Agency (Volumes 1–3), In a Strange Way (Volumes 1–3), and Bethlehem (Volumes 1–3).
Her stories examine sisterhood, racism, the hidden lives of nursing homes, and sexuality beyond convention. Running through them is a belief in the search for happiness — and in what women can accomplish when they unite.
“I'm a writer who decided not to confine myself to song lyrics. Music gave me one way to tell stories. Books give me another. I think of a novel the way I think of an album: a collection of stories and emotions that build toward something larger.”
Her memoir draws on a lifetime of music, celebrity, reinvention, and drama. Her Audio Originals take that storytelling a step further, pairing her spoken-word performances with original musical production and a flair for dramedy.
