Country music singer George Strait has paid tribute to a "good friend and my hero" - rodeo champ Roy Cooper.
Legendary eight-time Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association World Champion Cooper died in a fire at his home on Tuesday night in Decatur, Texas, the Pro Rodeo Association confirmed. He was 69.
"We lost our good friend and my hero Roy Cooper yesterday," Strait said in a statement he shared on social media on Wednesday.
"He's with our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ now. God please be with the Cooper family and friends," the Amarillo by Morning singer continued.
"We'll miss you amigo. I'll come find you one day."
One of Cooper's sons, Tuf Cooper, shared on Facebook: "It is with great sadness that our family shares the passing of our dad, The Super Looper, Roy Cooper. We're all in shock and at a loss for words from this tragedy at the moment."
Others paid tribute to the late ProRodeo Hall of Famer, hailing Cooper a legend who "changed it all"; "a good-hearted guy"; and "like Michael Jordan in the rodeo world"; among other praises.
Details on what led to Cooper's death have not been released. The investigation into the fire at his home is ongoing.
