Fun time joe cocker biography

This article was made possible by , official Blues, Soul, Rock & Roll Music T-Shirts & Merchandise. Click here to shop classic vintage rock tees!

Joe Cocker was musical, and cultural icon. A soulful, blues shouter from England, who burst on the scene, and nearly burned out just a couple years later. Thankfully, he endured, and his career lasted over 50 years. Along the way, he won nearly every award there is, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. In honor of his upcoming birthday, we offer 10 things you may not know about the Sheffield Soul Shouter.

1. Born John Robert Cocker in , he took the name Joe from a childhood game. A fan of Ray Charles, and skiffle singer, Lonnie Donegan, Cocker&#;s first stage appearance was singing with his older brother&#;s skiffle group at the age of The term skiffle, while widely used in the UK, actually has its musical roots in early 20th Century African-American culture. A skiffle was a rent party, as well as how blues singer Ma Rainey described her repertoire. It was also associated with early jug bands who used homemade instruments. Since the s, in the UK, skiffle has been used to describe a musical genre made up of blues, jazz, and folk. Some of Cocker&#;s other early blues influences included John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin&#; Wolf, and Lightnin&#; Hopkins.

2. His own first group was called the Cavaliers. In , they played their first gig at a local youth club. Even though they were the evening&#;s entertainment, they were required to pay for admission to the club. One year later, Cocker took the stage name, Vance Arnold. The name came from his misheard take on Elvis Presley&#;s character in Jailhouse Rock (Vince Everett), and country singer, Eddie Arnold. Vance Arnold and the Avengers played the Sheffield pubs, and go their first break supporting the Rolling Stones in

3. Famously known for his covers of Beatles songs, the first one he recorded was, &#;I&#;ll Cry Instead,&#; in It was on the Decca labe

Producer Lisa Saltzman has acquired feature film rights to Mark Bego’s upcoming biography, &#;Joe Cocker: With a Lot of Help from His Friends,&#; which chronicles the life and career of the blues-rock star.

The book will be published by Yorkshire Publishing on Nov. It is the first biography written about Cocker since his death in The British singer&#;s distinctive, raspy voice made him a chart-topper. His biggest hits include his cover of The Beatles&#; &#;With a Little Help from My Friends&#; (later heard on the opening credits of &#;The Wonder Years&#;) as well as his version of Traffic&#;s &#;Feeling&#; Alright?&#; (memorably performed with John Belushi on &#;Saturday Night Live&#;). Cocker&#;s &#;Up Where We Belong,&#; a duet with Jennifer Warnes, was featured in &#;An Officer and a Gentleman.&#; It later earned him a Grammy Award in and was his best-selling song. Cocker released a total of 22 studio albums in a career that lasted over 40 years.

“Joe Cocker’s story is one of ambition, talent, attainment, debilitating self-esteem, self-destruction, redemption, and finally joy, set in the most exciting and colorful era of popular music. Joe was a unique talent,” said Saltzman. “As a singer, Cocker’s gritty bluesy rock voice and distinctive performances rendered him a true original. He lived a bigger-than-life existence, and the film &#;Joe Cocker:  With A Little Help From My Friends&#; will show the high points, the low points, the frustrations, crippling battles with his demons, and finally the exhilaration of a life successfully lived.”

Saltzman is set to produce Elaine McMillion’s forthcoming feature about Mary Harris Jones, &#;Mother Jones.&#; She also recently purchased the feature

English singer (–)

Musical artist

John Robert "Joe" CockerOBE (20 May – 22 December ) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles, such as "Feelin' Alright?" and "Unchain My Heart", were recordings of songs written by other song writers, though he composed a number of songs for most of his albums as well, often in conjunction with songwriting partner Chris Stainton.

His first album featured a recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in , became a staple of his many live shows (Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in , the Party at the Palace in ) and was also known as the theme song for the late s American TV series The Wonder Years. He continued his success with his second album, which included a second Beatles song, "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window". A hastily thrown together US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell. His recording of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US, and became his signature song. Cocker's best-selling song was the US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a Grammy Award. He released a total of 22 studio albums over a year recording career.

In , Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male Solo Artist. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in , and received an OBE the following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's greatest singers list.

Early life (–)

Cocker was born on 20 May at 38 Tasker Road, Crookes, Sheffield. He was the youngest son of a civil servant, Harold Norman Cocker (–), at the time of his son's birth serving