Topic: Paul Cook

Paul Cook, born on 20 July 1956, is an English drummer and member of the punk rock band the Sex Pistols.

Cook was raised in Hammersmith, London. He attended the Christopher Wren school in White City Estate, Shepherds Bush, where he met Steve Jones. In 1972-1973, Cook and Jones, along with their school friend Wally Nightingale, formed a band, The Strand. Cook was the first member of the group to actually invest in a piece of equipment (a drum kit) rather than steal it. Within the next three years The Strand evolved into the Sex Pistols.

After Sex Pistols split in 1978, Cook and Jones initially worked on the soundtrack to Malcolm McLaren's film, The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle. The two also recorded a few songs using the Sex Pistols name, Cook singing lead on the album version of the song Silly Thing. The pair then started a new band, The Professionals, with Andy Allen. Allen caused some legal problems; he played bass on "Silly Thing" and the first few Professionals recordings, but had no record contract and had been neither credited nor paid. Consequently, the Virgin Records compilation album Cash Cows, which featured The Professionals' track "Kick Down the Doors," was withdrawn.