Chip Hooper, Paradigm Agent And Manager, Passes Away At 53

Chip Hooper

Legendary PARADIGM TALENT AGENCY agent and manager CHIP HOOPER died on SATURDAY (MARCH 5th) after a long battle with cancer.  The agent for DAVE MATTHEWS BAND and PHISH died one week after fulfilling a promise to his son, MAX, to attend at least one of the OAKLAND UNIVERSITY senior’s basketball games this season in MICHIGAN.  In addition to son MAX, he leaves behind a daughter, VALERIE, a student at DUKE UNIVERSITY.

Fellow agent MARTY DIAMOND told AMPLIFY: “I got to live, work and learn from a giant of a man and he will be missed more than words can say." The LITTLE BIG MAN founder was one of many agents that eventually came to work with HOOPER at PARADIGM, where he now heads the music division in the agency's NEW YORK office.

HOOPER was described by his colleagues as "humble and grounded," a fair agent who fought for his artists but always considered the demands of the venue and promoter partners.

During PHISH’s recent show at the FOX THEATER in OAKLAND, an emotional TREY ANASTASIO dedicated the song “Show of Life” to HOOPER.

“CHIP is the guy who has booked every single PHISH show that any of you have ever been to,” he told the crowd, later adding “everyone on our crew loves him. He is a very important part of our family.”

HOOPER started at MONTEREY PENINSULA ARTISTS in 1988 and was already a major player in music when he joined PARADIGM in 2005, right after the firm acquired the company from FRED BOHLANDER and DAN WEINER. PARADIGM acquired LITTLE BIG MAN in 2006 and THIRD COAST in 2009.  In 2012, PARADIGM signed a strategic partnership with EDM giant AM ONLY and last year, formed a partnership with WINDISH AGENCY, one of the most successful independent music talent agencies.

WEINER said HOOPER was meticulous when it came to finding the right people and companies to build the PARADIGM empire.

HOOPER was born in MIAMI in 1962 and raised in CHICAGO. At a young age he developed an interest in photography, and by age 12 had created a dark room in his basement. He was an accomplished photographer whose work is featured at several galleries including CARMEL's WESTON GALLERY, where his photos of seascapes are on display. He’s also published a book of his photographs of NEW ZEALAND’s SOUTH PACIFIC and TASMAN SEA.

NEDERLANDER CONCERTS' ALEX HODGES said, “We will enjoy his incredible photography as long we live” and described CHIP as a “wonderful soul and exceptional human being.”

HOOPER's death was made public by OAKLAND UNIVERSITY basketball coach GREG KAMPE, who tweeted out “CHIP HOOPER was as loving and down to earth father of any player I’ve ever had. He will be missed, I lost a friend, and OAKLAND lost a fan.”

CHIP's MAX HOOPER is an outstanding basketball player and guard for OAKLAND UNIVERSITY in MICHIGAN — last week, his dad made a trip to watch his son play on Senior Night.

CHIP made the trip to DETROIT even though he suffered a stroke last OCTOBER. PARADIGM Chairman SAM GORES’ brother, TOM, owns the DETROIT PISTONS and offered his private plane to fly CHIP and some friends, including PARADIGM’s DAN WEINER, out from MONTEREY, according to the DETROIT FREE PRESS. "They were met by an ambulance and paramedics and arrived at the arena in time for MAX to see them during warm-ups.”

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