Joe Cocker Information

Joe Cocker was born on May 20, 1944 and began his career in Sheffield, England, at the age of 15 while playing in the Avengers, then Big Blues, and then The Grease Band. In 1964, Joe Cocker released his first single, a cover of The Beatles "I'll Cry Instead." His band, Joe Cocker Big Blues, built up a large following in the north of England and ventured to France for a two month stint, playing on American airbases. In 1969 he was featured on the American TV program The Ed Sullivan Show. Joe Cocker hit No. 1 in the U.K. in November 1968 with his version of the Beatles' "A Little Help From My Friends." His career really took off after he sang that song at the Woodstock festival in August 1969.

A second British hit came with a version of Leon Russell's "Delta Lady" in the fall of 1969 and both of his albums, With a Little Help From My Friends (April 1969) and Joe Cocker! (November 1969), went gold in America. In the beginning of the '70s, he had problems with drugs and alcohol that obviously had a bad influence on his musical career. Subsequent efforts were less popular, and problems with alcohol (both on-stage and off) reduced Joe Cocker's once-powerful voice to a croaking rasp. His cover of the Box Tops' hit "The Letter" in 1970 became his first U.S. Top 10. Joe Cocker's first peak of success came when Russell organized the " Mad Dogs Englishmen" tour of 1970, featuring Cocker and over 40 others, and resulting in a third gold album and a concert film. Joe's first three albums went platinum and Playboy voted him No. 1 vocalist in their annual jazz and rock poll.

Eventually, all the drinking was affecting his work in the studio. He was deported from Australia during a 1972 tour, and was often so drunk onstage he was barely able to perform, even after throwing up in front of the audience. Joe Cocker continued making albums and songs like "Guilty," "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress" and "You Are So Beautiful," which have become Joe Cocker classics.

Little was heard from Cocker until 1982, it was stated that it took two years for the alcohol to drain out of his body. Whether that was true or not, a thinner, older Joe Cocker was seen promoting his best album in years; the critically acclaimed Sheffield Steel. A wiser and sober Joe Cocker continued into the '90s with his amazing voice intact and a constitution as strong as Sheffield Steel.

After Sheffield Steel, Joe Cocker released five more albums in the '80s and would release nine more in the '90s. Joe Cocker continued to release albums in the 2000s, with the most recent one coming in 2005 with Heart & Soul.

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