Joe Robert Cocker, commonly known to his fans as simply Joe Cocker. He is the king of rock and blues. It has a sharp voice and characteristic movements during performances. He has been repeatedly awarded with many awards. He was also famous for his cover versions of popular songs, especially the legendary rock band The Beatles.
For example, one of the covers of The Beatles song "With A Little Help From My Friends". It was she who gave Joe Cocker wide popularity. The song not only reached No. 1 in the UK, but also established him as a popular rock and blues singer.
From a young age he was inclined towards music. The future artist began to sing in public at the age of 12. As a teenager, he created his own musical group called the Cavaliers. He began his career under the stage name Vance Arnold. The young man played covers of songs by popular artists such as Chuck Berry and Ray Charles. He continued to form bands and the next one was called The Grease with Chris Stainton.
At the beginning of his career, he was the only buzzword in Britain. But later it was mostly popular in the USA. Having toured the country, and participated in several major festivals, including the Denver Pop Festival. Through hard work and talent, he gradually became a very popular singer outside the country. Joe was able to conquer the whole world. Named one of Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Singers.
Childhood and youth of Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker was born May 20, 1944 in Crooks, Sheffield. He was the youngest son of Harold Cocker and Madge Cocker. His father was a civil servant. He loved listening to music from a young age. He was a fan of such artists as Ray Charles, Lonnie Donegan and others.
The young man began to sing in public when he was 12 years old. He later decided to form his first band. It was the same Cavaliers. the event took place in 1960.
Successful career of Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker adopted the stage name, Vance Arnold. In 1961 he formed another group, Vance Arnold and the Avengers. The band mostly covered songs by Ray Charles and Chuck Berry.
The band got their first big chance in 1963. Then they got the opportunity to perform with the Rolling Stones at Sheffield City Hall. The first single he released was a cover of The Beatles' 'I'll Cry Instead'. It was a failure and his contract was terminated.
In 1966, he created a group - "The Grease" with Chris Stainton. This band played in pubs around Sheffield. Danny Cordell, producer of Procol Harum and the Moody Blues, noticed the band and invited Cocker to record the single "Marjorine".
In 1968, he released a single that would make him truly famous. It was a cover version of the single "With A Little Help From My Friends", originally performed by the Beatles. This single peaked at No. 1 in the UK. The single was also successful in the US.
By now the Grease group had disbanded and Cocker re-established a new band of the same name, consisting of Henry McCullough and Tommy Eyre. With them he toured the UK in late 1968 and early 1969.
Artist's first album
Cocker caught the wave that the cover song made him popular and eventually released an album of the same name, With A Little Help From My Friends, in 1969. It reached #35 in the US market and went gold.
Joe Cocker released his second album later that year. It was titled "Joe Cocker!". In keeping with the trend of his debut album, it also contained numerous covers of songs originally performed by popular singers such as Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Leonard Cohen.
He released several other albums during the 1970s, including I Can Stand A Little Rain (1974), Jamaica Say You Will (1975), Stingray (1976) and The Luxury You Can Afford. (1978). But none of these albums performed well.
Maestro Joe Cocker Touring Era
Although he did not achieve much success with his albums, he gained some notoriety as a live performer. During the decade of the 1970s he toured extensively around the world and performed in the US, UK and Australia.
The artist recorded the duet "Up Where We Belong" with Jennifer Warnes for the soundtrack to the film An Officer and a Gentleman in 1982. The song became a super hit internationally and won several awards. His studio albums over the decade included Sheffield Steel (1982), Civilized Man (1984) and Unchain My Heart (1987).
He continued to tour and perform throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Despite his advanced age, he remained active in the musical field. 'Across from Midnight' appeared in 1997, followed by 'No Ordinary World' two years later. Respect Yourself appeared in 2002 and the cover album Heart & Soul appeared in 2004.
A compilation album, Hymn for My Soul, was also released. It features cover versions of songs by Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Joah Fogerty. It was released on the Parlophone label in 2007. His full Live at Woodstock performance was published in 2009. And in 2010, he recorded his first studio album in three years - Hard Knocks.
Cocker's 23rd studio album, Fire It Up, was released in November 2012 by Sony. It was produced through a collaboration with Matt Serletic.
His cover version of the Beatles' single "With A Little Help From My Friends" was the song that made him a worldwide star. It was a #1 single in the UK and also in the US. Such a breakthrough led him to a favorable relationship with the Beatles.
Joe Cocker Awards and Achievements
Joe Cocker won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo Performance in 1983 for his No. 1 hit “Up Where We Belong,” a duet he sang with Jennifer Warnes.
In 2007 he was awarded the Honors of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace for services to music.
Personal life and legacy of artist Joe Cocker
Joe Cocker dated Eileen Webster intermittently from 1963 to 1976, but eventually broke up with her. In 1987 he married Pam Baker, a big fan of his. After the wedding, the couple lived in Colorado.
The singer died of lung cancer on December 22, 2014 in Crawford, Colorado at the age of 71. The cause of death was lung cancer.
