December 22, 2014

Joe Cocker: 1944-2014

Joe Cocker is dead at 70. He succumbed to lung cancer at his home in Crawford, Colorado. The BBC reports:

Singer Joe Cocker, best known for his cover of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, has died aged 70, his agent has confirmed.

The Sheffield born singer-songwriter had a career lasting more than 40 years with hits including You Are So Beautiful and Up Where We Belong.

His agent Barrie Marshall said Cocker, who died after battling lung cancer, was "simply unique".

He remained a popular artist throughout his career, but his performances often suffered from drinking excessively. He released string of below par albums, catering to the mainstream and being pushed by money hungry promoters and managers. It seemed that nobody was exactly sure what artistic stage persona fitted him best. A troubled character with an unique voice is no more.

Cocker's performance at the Woodstock Festival is a classic. His hoarse voice and stage antics made him an instant legend:

He hit his creative peak with the Mad Dogs & Englishmen album in 1970:

» cocker.com

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