Joe Cocker
British blues / rock singer Joe Cocker died late Sunday at his ranch in Crawford, Colorado. He had been battling lung cancer and was with his wife when he passed away.
Cocker began his singing career in the pubs and clubs of Sheffield in the 1960s under the stage name Vance Arnold with his band Vance Arnold and the Avengers, mainly covering Chuck Berry and Ray Charles. He got a break in 1963 when his band supported the Rolling Stones at Sheffield City Hall. Cocker signed a solo record deal a year later.
He came to prominence in 1968 for covering the Beatles’ ”With a Little Help From My Friends,” which he famously performed at Woodstock in 1969. The following year he was part of the “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” Tour, featuring over 40 musicians touring 48 cities across the US.
Cocker’s version of “You Are So Beautiful” was a hit in 1975. His 1982 duet with Jennifer Warnes, “Up Where We Belong” – from the film An Officer And A Gentleman – won both a Grammy and an Academy Award.
In 2007 he was awarded the OBE for his contribution to music by the Queen of England. He had recent hits in Europe with his albums Hard Knocks and Fire It Up.
Cocker was known for his spasmodic movements on stage, often flailing his arms as he sang. Those distinctive moves, he said, were almost accidental and “came with my frustration at having never played guitar or piano. It’s just a way of trying to get feeling out.” He continued to perform live, with shows scheduled well into 2015.
In a statement Monday, manager Barrie Marshall said that Cocker was “without doubt the greatest rock/soul singer ever to come out of Britain.”
Text of Barrie Marshall’s statement