A rodeo legend has died following a house fire Tuesday night in Wise County, according to the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

PRORODEO Hall of Famer Roy Cooper, also known as "The Super Looper," was found inside his Decatur home and was pronounced dead. He was 69 years old. 

Cooper's son, Tuf, confirmed the news on his official Facebook fan page.

"We're all in shock and at a loss for words from this tragedy at the moment," the post read in part.

Cooper exploded onto the rodeo scene in 1976, taking the title of Rookie of the Year, the PRCA said. He was named to the inaugural class of the PRORODEO Hall of Fame in 1979 in Colorado Springs.

According to the PRCA, Cooper took home seven individual event world championships, six in tie-down roping, one in steer roping and one all-around crown over the course of his career. 

"He made it like his own art," said Joe Beaver, a PRORODEO Hall of Famer who met Cooper at 18 years old. "He put a touch to it that nobody else, a flair that nobody ever seen. And he built what everybody's doing now… I felt like we lost one of the Mount Rushmore heads of tie-down roping when we lost Roy."

Beaver said Cooper was a true cowboy, in and out of the arena.

"He was a fun guy," Beaver said. "He had a great time. He lived life to the fullest. He lived high on the hog. He was a rock star. He brought a different level of rodeo in. He made rodeo cool. He made tie-down roping cool."

Winning the PRCA All-Around World Title in 1983, along with capturing the tie-down roping and steer roping championships, made Cooper one of 10 cowboys to ever secure rodeo's elusive Triple Crown – three world titles in the same year.

"He was the best to ever come along at that time, and one of the best ever, period," said Beaver. "He will never be forgotten. Roy's Roy and they'll never make another one."

His friends said that beyond Cooper's career accomplishments, they'll remember his kindness.

"Just always wanted to help," said Marshall Brackin, a professional rodeo cowboy who was friends with Cooper for more than 40 years. "Didn't matter what time of day or what time of night. I think that's more important than the World Championships."

In a podcast interview just two months ago, Cooper described some recent health challenges and reflected on his legendary career.

"How lucky to get to do something you like to do," he told the hosts.

His friends say they were the lucky ones to know him and to ride with him.

"It's going to be a long, long road for a lot of people," Brackin said. "But, you know, the best part about it is the legacy that's here will be here forever."

The Decatur Fire Department confirmed crews responded to a fatal fire Tuesday night around 7 p.m. at a home on County Road 3051, but would not provide any more details or answer questions about what happened.