Joe Cocker

Joe Cocker was an English singer, songwriter, and musician who rose to fame in the late 1960s with his distinctive raspy voice and dynamic stage presence. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock and blues vocalists of all time. Cocker was born on 20 May 1944 in Sheffield, England. He began his musical career as a teenager, performing in pubs and clubs with various bands. He adopted the stage name Joe Cocker in 1963 and formed his own group, The Grease Band. In 1968, he recorded a cover version of The Beatles' song "With a Little Help from My Friends", which became a huge hit and reached number one in the UK. He performed the song at the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969, where he impressed the audience with his passionate rendition and expressive body movements. Cocker continued to record and perform throughout the 1970s, releasing several successful albums and singles. He collaborated with many prominent musicians, such as Leon Russell, Billy Preston, Eric Clapton, and Jimmy Page. He also embarked on a massive tour in 1970, called Mad Dogs and Englishmen, which featured a large ensemble of musicians and singers. The tour was documented in a film and a live album of the same name. In the 1980s, Cocker's career experienced a revival with the help of producer Stewart Levine. He scored his biggest hit in 1982 with "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that was featured in the film An Officer and a Gentleman. The song won an Academy Award and a Grammy Award for Best Original Song. He also had another hit in 1986 with "You Can Leave Your Hat On", which was used in the film 9½ Weeks. Cocker remained active in the music industry until his death in 2014. He released more than 20 studio albums and received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to music. He was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male in 1993 and received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2008. He was also ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time. Cocker died on 22 December 2014 at his home in Crawford, Colorado, after a long battle with small cell lung cancer. He was 70 years old. He is survived by his wife Pam Baker, whom he married in 1987, and his brother Victor Cocker. He is buried in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Crawford.