Rusty Cooley (born April 27, 1970) is an American instrumental rock, heavy metal, and progressive metal guitarist and educator from Houston, Texas. Cooley received a first guitar at age 15 and began serving as a guitar instructor at age 18 while studying music theory at a local college. In 1996, Cooley began a solo career and transitioned to the exclusive use of seven-string guitars. Cooley released the debut solo album Rusty Cooley in 2003 through Lion Music, featuring the track “Under the Influence”. Cooley performed on the 2004 album Book of Reflections and the 2006 self-titled release by the band Outworld. Cooley established signature equipment collaborations with Dean Guitars and ProTone Pedals. Between 2000 and 2011, Cooley released multiple instructional DVDs, including Shred Guitar Manifesto and Arpeggio Madness. Cooley also contributed guest performances for All Shall Perish and Derek Sherinian.
