Joe Cocker-Rock Singer

On May 20, 1944 in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, John Robert "Joe" Cocker was born to a humble early life. Forced to work at a young age, Joe became an apprentice gas fitter by day, but at night, Cocker became "Vance Arnold" fronting The Avengers in the local Sheffield pubs. Joe and the bands big break came in 1963 when they opened for The Rolling Stones at Sheffield City Hall. The exposure and accolades that Joe received from that concert helped to propel Cocker into the musical limelight.

In the early 1960s, Cocker and The Avengers built a decent fan base in England, but had little commercial success, and the band would soon go their separate ways. Cocker then teamed up with Chris Stainton to form The Grease Band in 1966.

Joe and The Grease Band recorded a tune called "Marjorine", which became a minor success in the U. K. In 1968, they recorded "With a Little Help From My Friends," produced by Denny Cordell of A&M Records. This album featured guest performers Jimmy Page and Steve Winwood. It quickly took off and received airplay on both sides of the Atlantic. The title track hit number one in the U. K., and became a major highlight of the Woodstock Festival in 1969. (Videos below)

Click the above image to play the video clip.

The Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour kicked off in 1970, and resulted in a #2 live double album that yielded a pair of hits, "The Letter" (#7, 1970) and "Cry Me a River" (#11, 1970), and a film. The albums released during the 70s included; Joe Cocker, I Can Stand a Little Rain, Stingray, and Jamaica Say You Will. None of them were praised by critics, nor did they obtain the commercial success of his previous releases. There were some songs that received airplay, "High Time We Went," "Fun Time," "Put Out the Light," and "You Are So Beautiful," (The latter being one of Joe's biggest hits reaching #5 in the U.S. in 1975). There was a period of about four years where Cocker toured constantly, playing mostly small clubs to make ends meet financially.

Cocker's career got a boost in 1982. A duet with Jennifer Warnes, "Up Where We Belong," from the movie An Officer and a Gentleman, hit #1 in the U.S. Since then, several other Cocker songs have graced films, including his version of Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On" (91/2 Weeks), and 1989's "When the Night Comes" (An Innocent Man).

The hard-working Cocker has released fourteen albums since 1990, most notably 1994's Have a Little Faith which scored Joe a top-ten spot on the U. K. album charts. Cocker was the opening performer at Woodstock '94 as one of the few participants who played at the original Woodstock Festival in 1969.

Today, Cocker lives in Crawford, Colorado, with his wife, Pam. Joe still occasionally tours and was awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for services to music. While in England, Cocker played two concerts in London and in his home town of Sheffield.

Joe Cocker is a true survivor. He has had hit records in an amazing stretch that has covered four different decades. After all of the grueling years on the road and in the studio, Cocker has no plans to ease up. "As long as being on stage is fun," says the rock legend, "I'll keep going out there."

With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
Joe Cocker! (1969)
Mad Dogs & Englishmen (1970)
Cocker Happy (1971)
Double Cocker Power (1972)
Joe Cocker (Something to Say) (1972)
I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
Stingray (1976)
Greatest Hits (1977)
Luxury You Can Afford (1979)
Sheffield Steel (1982)
The Best of Joe Cocker (1983)
Civilized Man (1984)
Cocker (1986)
Unchain My Heart (1987)
One Night of Sin (1989)
Joe Cocker Live (1990)
Night Calls (1991)
The Best of Joe Cocker (1992)
Have a Little Faith (1994)
The Long Voyage Home (1995)
Organic (1996)
Across from Midnight (1997)
Greatest Hits (1998)
The Anthology (1999)
No Ordinary World (1999)
Respect Yourself (2002)
The Ultimate Collection 1968-2003 (2004)
Heart & Soul (2004)
Hymn for My Soul (2007)