Biography: John Byrne Cooke (born October 5, 1940 in New York City, New York, USA) was an American author, musician, and photographer. In the 1960's, he played with the bluegrass band, the Charles River Valley Boys, and was Janis Joplin's road manager from December 1, 1967 until her death. He was the son of Alistair Cooke, and the great-grandnephew of Ralph Waldo Emerson.