Joe Cocker, the influential British rock and blues singer known
for his gravelly voice and unbridled performance style, died Monday
at age 70, according to a representative at his agency, Marshall
Arts. The singer's death at his home in Crawford, Colo., followed
his battle with lung cancer.
Mr. Cocker's raw rendition of the Beatles song "With a Little
Help From My Friends" brought him U.K. fame in 1968. In a field of
more subdued English singers, Mr. Cocker stood out as a soulful
belter whose intensity was mirrored in his frenetic body language
on stage. He appeared as a tornado in a tie-dye T-shirt at the
Woodstock music festival and in the accompanying concert film,
which established him as a star in the U.S. and an enduring symbol
of 1960s rock.
Bouts of substance abuse during the singer's commercial peak in
the 1970s marred his vocals and made his live performances
notoriously erratic. Still, Mr. Cocker's career endured for more
than 40 years. He released 22 albums and experienced several
resurgences through 2013, when he released his most recent album,
"Fire It Up: Live," and toured Europe.
Born on May 20, 1944, in Sheffield, England, John Robert Cocker
joined his first band, the Cavaliers, in 1959. After an abandoned
apprenticeship as a gas fitter and several false starts in his
singing career, Mr. Cocker caught momentum with his group the
Grease Band. The band (supplemented by Jimmy Page) backed him on
his breakthrough recording of "With a Little Help From My
Friends."
Following his Woodstock appearance, he joined the U.S. musician
Leon Russell on an elaborate concert tour, which yielded the live
album and concert film "Mad Dogs & Englishmen." The project
earned Mr. Cocker two U.S. hits with the standard "Cry My a River"
and his cover of the Box Tops song "The Letter."
In 1975, Mr. Cocker released one of his most famous singles,
"You Are So Beautiful." Written by Billy Preston, the ballad
highlighted the subtler side of his singing abilities during an
otherwise troubled time in his life.
Mr. Cocker had a comeback in 1982, when he recorded the duet "Up
Where We Belong" with singer Jennifer Warnes. The song, featured in
the soundtrack to the film "An Officer and a Gentleman," hit No. 1
and earned Mr. Cocker an Academy Award and a Grammy.
In 2007, Mr. Cocker was made an Officer of the Order of the
British Empire for his contributions to music.
He is survived by his wife, Pam, along with his brother, a
stepdaughter and two grandchildren.
Write to John Jurgensen at john.jurgensen@wsj.com
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