Introducing “Big Gretch,” Michigan’s 49th Governor
Over the past two months, we’ve really gotten to know our United States governors as daily press conferences dominate local...
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.
Learn to Bake From One of Detroit’s Best Pastry Chefs
In times of crisis, people crave comfort foods. Few things accomplish that like the smell of fresh baked goods wafting...
When Live Concerts Return, They Won’t Be The Same
Earlier this week, Missouri Governor Mike Parson laid out a plan that would allow live concerts to resume in his...
In Southwest Detroit, A New Generation of Mariachi Musicians Take the Stage
When musician Camilla-Isabella Cantu was 13-years-old, she was recruited to join a youth mariachi group in southwest Detroit where she...
Labor of Love: Artist Freddy Diaz Connects Colors of Mexico to Southwest Detroit
Emilio Cuevas Staying home and staying safe has helped Southwest Detroit artist Freddy Diaz create some of his best work...
62% of Artists Are Out of Work. Relief Funds Can Only Fix So Much.
62% of artists in the United States are out of work. Nearly all of them have experienced some income loss. ...
Stevie Wonder Is Your 2020 WDET Michigan Music Madness Champion
WDET A huge thank you to everyone who nominated an artist and continued to vote round-by-round in the 2020 WDET...
DJ Mike Huckaby called Detroit home. His music moved people around the world.
One of the early pioneers of Detroit's techno and house electronic music scenes has died. DJ, producer and educator Mike Huckaby...
Marvin Gaye vs. Stevie Wonder: Final Showdown in WDET’s Michigan Music Madness Bracket
WDET Thanks to your nominations and votes, we've gone from 64 artists from different decades of Michigan music. Now, we've...
Burning Bright: Lights Illuminate Start of Ramadan for Michigan’s Muslims
The annual holy month of Ramadan begins this week and Muslims around the globe are finding creative ways to commune...
The Surprising Histories Behind Your Favorite Board Games
In just one week last month, sales of board games and puzzles in the United States grew 228%. It’s a...
Black and Blue: Portraits of America’s Working Class by Detroit Artist Mario Moore
Mario Moore The Detroit art world is growing digitally with efforts to fundraise for local artists and exhibit their work...