Joe Cocker

Known for his gritty voice, unique facial expressions, and flailing body movements onstage, Joe Cocker is a popular British rock and soul singer like no one else.

John Robert Cocker, known popularly as Joe Cocker, was born May 20, 1944 in Crookes, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England. His father was a civil servant, and Cocker was the youngest of his children.

By his late teens, Cocker knew music was his passion. He started his career in 1961 by performing in various local pubs. At the time, he went by the stage name Vance Arnold, and his band was known as Vance Arnold and the Avengers. In 1963, they had garnered enough attention and acclaim to open for The Rolling Stones.

The following year, however, the Avengers fell apart. Cocker moved on to form another band known as Joe Cocker Big Blues. They released one single in 1964, a cover of the Beatle’s “I’ll Cry Instead.” It was the first of many successful covers for Joe Cocker. Joe Cocker Big Blues began touring and found themselves in France, often performing on American air bases.

Never quite able to get off the ground, Cocker was forced to form yet another band. By this time, it was 1966, and Cocker still had not found any real commercial or critical acclaim.

That changed, however, when Cocker met Chris Stainton. Together they formed The Grease Band. They finally caught the eye of Denny Cordell, who recognized a potential talent on his hands. Cocker was relocated to London and set up at The Marquee Club. The first single “Marjorine” received a mediocre reception in the US. The band became well known, however, when they released a rearranged version of “With a Little Help from My Friends” by the Beatles. Lead guitar was performed by Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin fame.

Their notoriety earned them an invite to the Woodstock Music Festival, which was quickly followed by another hit, “Delta Lady.” More Beatles covers such as “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” earned Cocker and his band even more notice.

1969 also marked his debut on The Ed Sullivan Show where he displayed his characteristic arm flailing and jerks. He was famously imitated by John Belushi on Saturday Night Live when Belushi joined Cocker on stage and performed a spot-on impersonation.

Although the 70s were commercially prosperous for Cocker, that success quickly translated into drug and alcohol abuse. This culminated with a very public arrest in 1972 for marijuana possession while he was touring Adelaide, Australia.

Eventually getting clean, he staged an impressive comeback throughout the 80s and 90s. During this time, he released his arguably most known single, “You Are So Beautiful” as well as “Up Where We Belong,” which was featured in the Richard Gere and Debra Winger classic An Officer and a Gentleman.

In 1994, he opened for Woodstock ’94, representing one of the few acts who actually played at the original concert. He currently resides in Crawford, Colorado on Mad Dog Ranch with his wife, Pam, whom he married October 11, 1987. He continues to release successful albums.

Cocker received an OBE from Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 and commemorated the honor with concerts in both London and Sheffield.

Joe can be seen playing the bit part in the Julie Taymor's film Across the Universe with stars Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess.