“Deacon King Kong” Author James McBride on the Music That Changed His Life
Ryan Patrick Hooper It was a certain "hump and swing" that came through in gospel music that captivated James McBride,...
Ryan Patrick Hooper is the award-winning host of "In the Groove" on 101.9 WDET-FM Detroit’s NPR station. Hooper has covered stories for the New York Times, NPR, Detroit Free Press, Hour Detroit, SPIN and Paste magazine.
Hooper grew up reading the Sunday paper with his dad. That’s where he learned the basics of writing while dreaming of one day writing the stories himself. At 16, he knocked on the door of his hometown paper and asked for a job as a reporter. Since then, he's written extensively for the Detroit Free Press -- the same paper he grew up reading.
Since joining WDET in 2017, Hooper has expanded the station’s arts and culture coverage and received numerous awards from the Michigan Association of Broadcasting along the way. Nationally, Hooper was awarded a 2020 RTDNA Regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting for his story “Would You Rent a Stray Dog From the City of Detroit?“ In 2018, Hooper was named the Associated Press Michigan Editors Broadcast Rising Star in broadcast journalism. He received the prestigious Crain’s Detroit Business “20 In Their 20s” award in 2014. His commitment to volunteerism was recognized by the State of Michigan in 2007.
His juggalo-inspired I.C.Pizza costume was selected by the Huffington Post as one of the best Halloween costumes of 2014.
Curating a Pandemic: The Henry Ford Wants Your Coronavirus Artifacts In Their Museum
Museums around the country are starting to think about how they’ll present the global pandemic of COVID-19 to future generations. ...
Anxiety in Service Industry as Michigan Restaurants, Bars Reopen
Michigan restaurants and bars are preparing to re-open on June 8th following the end of Michigan’s 'Stay Home' order, but...
George Floyd’s Last Words Soar Over Detroit: “Please I Can’t Breathe”
Courtesy of Jammie Holmes On Saturday, artist Jammie Holmes unveiled a piece of protest art that literally soared above five...
21-Year-Old Killed Amid Tense Police Brutality Protest in Detroit, Shooter Unknown
This article has been updated with new information provided by the Detroit Police Department, correcting the age of the victim...
Michigan-Made Horror Movie “The Wretched” Is #1 at U.S. Box Office
A chilling indie thriller filmed in Michigan’s Leelanau Peninsula is currently the #1 movie in the country, according to Box...
Need a Haircut? Michigan’s Stylists, Barbers Debate a Safe Return to Work
As the State of Michigan moves to re-open parts of the economy, businesses like barbershops, spas and hair salons remain...
Furloughed or Fired? Your Rights As An Employee
More than 40 million people — roughly one out of every four American workers — have filed for unemployment benefits...
Michigan Science Center Brings Live Experiments Into Your Living Room
When Christian Greer became the new president and CEO of the Michigan Science Center last fall, he entered with a...
Explaining Your Vivid Dreams During COVID-19
Have your dreams been more intense and memorable over the past two months? “The reality is that dreams don’t happen...
The Library of Congress Wants You to Remix America’s Cultural Legacy
Did you ever think the Library of Congress would invite you to make something new out of its vast collection...
Andy Warhol, Banksy Album Covers Featured in Virtual Exhibition
A new exhibition from the Cranbrook Art Museum featuring vinyl album covers designed by famous artists is now on digital display. "For the Record: Artists...