Ryland Peter “Ry” Cooder (born March 15, 1947) is a musician, songwriter, film soundtrack composer, record producer, and writer from the United States. He is a multi-instrumentalist most recognized for his slide guitar work, interest in traditional music, and collaborations with traditional artists from all over the world.
Cooder’s solo work incorporates several genres. He’s shared the stage with John Lee Hooker, Captain Beefheart, Taj Mahal, Gordon Lightfoot, Ali Farka Touré, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, Van Morrison, Neil Young, Randy Newman, Linda Ronstadt, Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, David Lindley, The Chieftains, Warren Zevon, Manuel Galbán, The Doobie Brothers, Carla Olson and The Textones, and Carla Olson and The Textones (on record and film). Wim Wenders directed the documentary film of the same name (1999), which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000. He founded the band Little Village and produced the album Buena Vista Social Club (1997), which became an international hit.
Cooder was voted No. 8 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 2003 list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” and No. 32 on Gibson Guitar Corporation’s 2010 list. In 2011, he released Los Angeles Tales, a collection of short stories.