Al Coker Shares a Wealth of Experience in Music – and Life

My job doing door-to-door canvassing this summer for the East Warren/ Cadieux Plan had some unexpected perks. I got to meet residents with great stories, including musician-poet Al Coker, who lives on Chatsworth near Outer Drive.

Like almost every other resident I surveyed in MorningSide, EEV, and Cornerstone, Al was concerned about the lack of a recreation center and after-school programs. He echoed others’ concerns that our youth “have nothing to do but find trouble.”

Al explained that he wanted to tackle this issue with tools for self-expression such as jazz and poetry. “It’s about honesty” he said, “speaking truth about real life in a positive way, without all the bragger b-s, misogyny and swearing.”

Al brings a lifetime of experience — 72 years and counting — to creative self-expression. He grew up in the Parkside Projects in the 1950s and ‘60s, getting involved in music - playing keyboards & singing - with like-minded kids when he was 15.

He went on to make a career in music with funk/ soul musical groups like the Gaslight, making hits like “Carried Away”, “Just Because of You”, and “It’s Just Like Magic.” Al also performed with The Amores and The Young Sirs.

Al has played all the big venues locally, including the Fox Theater, and performed all over the world. He’s recorded backgrounds for the Temptations and hobnobbed with notable acts such as the Mary Jane Girls.

Al said that “A lot of people in the neighborhood are afraid of the younger people, but they are only afraid because they don’t want to change. Times have changed and you have to change along with them. Kids need guidance; instead of running away from them, you should be running towards them to teach them something.”

I’ve already started helping Al connect with some of the people involved in youth mentoring through programs like Caught Up, or EEV Prep. It would be awesome for Al to return to his alma mater using his talents and experience to inspire a new generation!