Thomas Cotter

Thomas Mitchell Cotter passed away April 23, 2021. He was born September 13, 1956, to Harriet and Thomas Cotter Sr. and grew up in Brainerd. He wanted to be Mighty Mouse, but instead developed a talent for music and learned to play guitar.

He worked at The Chattanooga Times for years.

With Bob “Zeno” Wilkinson and Bob and Mike Courter, he formed the band Musical Moose. He lived in NYC and Los Angeles for a time, but returned to Chattanooga and opened RightTrack recording studio, later TMC Creative Audio. He wrote and produced many local commercial jingles with his friend Les Rayburn.

Tommy’s career was fascinating. He auditioned for the Red Hot Chili Peppers; worked for the TV show “Cops,” and had a hugely successful radio show at WUTC. Locally, he played with Musical Moose, the Dianasaurs and Ogya, and performed at numerous festivals, including Riverbend and Bonaroo. But he had Moose Blood!

He recorded and produced numerous albums, with Norman and Nancy Blake, Flavio Lichenthal, his dear friend John Standridge, and many more.

He married Susan Morris in 1994, and loved their travels to Europe and to Gulf Shores in summer.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Cotter Sr., and is survived by his mother, Harriet Cotter; wife, Susan Morris Cotter; son, Thomas “Trey” Cotter, III, daughter, Margaret Carson Cotter; brother, Chris (Sally) Cotter, Southsea, UK; sister, Aimee Cotter, his Cotter cousins, and his pets, Rooney, Luna, Emmie and Toby.