James Martin Cooper was born in Denver, Colorado, and moved to California in his early teens, settling in Los Angeles . By this time, Cooper had developed a keen interest in music, and began singing and writing songs; while still in high school, he contacted a small label, Crest Records, that he found in the telephone directory, and they liked his material well enough to put out his first single, 《Can't Walk‘Em Off》 b/w 《You Bet Your Little Life》 in 1958. The record was a flop, but it got Cooper's foot in the door of the music business, and after completing high school, he attended college by day (studying business administration) as he made contacts with fellow musicians in his spare time.