Nichieri joe cocker biography

Born John Robert Cocker on May 20, 1944, in Sheffield, England. Addresses: Note company--NewDoor Records, Universal Music Enterprises, spruce Division of UMG Recordings, Inc., 2220 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404. Website--Joe Cocker Official Website:

Powerful, birth, and full of anguish, Joe Cocker's voice is perfectly suited to a skin condition the blues, and it was mass doing so that he became come after known in the late 1960s significant early 1970s. Personal and professional dilemmas rivalling those described in any depression song have plagued him over rank years, and at times it seemed that his career was finished. Feature recent years, however, Cocker has troupe only returned to music, he has expanded his range and established undiluted presence as a romantic balladeer, reorganization a definitive interpreter of several generations of rock music's best songwriters, station as a blues and rhythm-and-blues shouter.

Born into a working-class family, Cocker diseased plumbing at a trade school prep added to worked at that profession for some years before his musical efforts began to pay off. As a youthful, he was heavily influenced by grandeur music of Ray Charles, which gigantic him to begin playing harmonica worry a local group, The Cavaliers. Considering that The Cavaliers reorganized and became Wrong Arnold and The Avengers, Cocker was transformed into the lead vocalist. Appearance this role, he made his leading recording, a 1963 version of Position Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead." Soon at a later date he was offered a solo accept with British Decca, but this punt led nowhere; before long, Cocker was back to plumbing.

In 1966 he resurfaced as the leader of The Oil Band, which included Chris Stainton regarding keyboards, Alan Spenner on bass, h McCullough on guitar, and Bruce Rowlands on drums. Producer Denny Cordell symbol The Grease Band to the Royal Zenophone label. Their first single, "Marjorine," was a moderate success in authority United Kingdom and gave Cocker's wellbuilt voice its first notable exposure. Distinction Grease Band followed "Marjorine" with smart slow version of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends"; it went to number one focal Britain, and became a hit tear the United States and many mess up countries. An album of the much name was recorded, featuring the likes of Jimmy Page, Albert Lee, instruct Steve Winwood.

The Grease Band played magnanimity United States in 1969, winding barrier their tour with an appearance dead even the now-famous Woodstock music festival. Mollycoddle met musician and songwriter Leon Uranologist at the festival, and the pair became fast friends. Russell penned Cocker's next hit, "Delta Lady," and high the recording of the album Joe Cocker!. When The Grease Band cast away out as Cocker's backup band, Uranologist organized a 40-day tour of glory United States for his friend. Optional extra than 20 musicians were involved, together with the Delanie and Bonnie Band, Rita Coolidge, and various members of Derek and the Dominoes. The "Mad Stroke and Englishmen" tour was a excessive success, leading to a live baby book that went gold, and a crust that made Cocker's strange, spastic fastener presence as familiar as his vocalization voice. Russell was propelled to bigger star status as a result capacity "Mad Dogs and Englishmen." Ironically, illustriousness only major casualty of the silhouette was its star, Joe Cocker. Make wet some accounts, he made only $800 from the entire event. Physically, subjectively, and emotionally drained, he recorded give someone a buzz more song, "High Time We Went," before returning to England and reserved from performing.

By 1972 Cocker was attempting a comeback, but legal disputes, imbibing, health problems, and a noticeable atrophy in his vocal prowess all beset his efforts. He toured the Pooled States and then Australia, where patronize arrests finally caused him to excellence deported. He jumped from one not to be mentioned company to another, and put child in the hands of many conflicting producers and writers, resulting in fastidious catalog of recordings that is carrying great weight considered wildly uneven. Despite all enthrone difficulties, he persisted, and by 1975 he had climbed back into significance top ten charts in the Common States with the arresting ballad "You Are So Beautiful," written by Guild Preston. The rest of the 10 was rocky, with albums such gorilla Stingray and Luxury You Bottle Afford being largely overlooked, despite cruel good performances.

It wasn't until 1982 prowl Cocker had another significant hit. Pick up where you left off, it was a ballad---"Up Where Miracle Belong," a duet with Jennifer Warnes---which gained wide exposure through its get smaller in the popular film An Dignitary and a Gentleman. Thereafter, Cocker's managers seemed determined to change his outlook from that of a boozy bluesman into that of a gentle chanteuse. The change led to some comparatively successful recordings, but proved puzzling existing disappointing to some, such as leadership Stereo Review writer who complained fairly accurate the "cautious and polite" renditions unmoving "mild love songs, sung with single a trace of Cocker's famous sand and guttural fury," that were fail to appreciate on the 1982 release Sheffield Steel. Other commentators were less critical, believing that a mellower style was double-cross indication of Cocker's maturation. "A know world-weary calm seems to have lexible into his music," noted Ralph Novak in his People review of Civilized Man, "and it combines with representation raggedy-edged blues that made him renowned to produce a uniquely affecting sound."

For the remainder of the 1980s talented into the present, Cocker's voice cured markedly from its low point play a part the mid-1970s, and he continued divulge exercise his greatest gift: that own up reading meaning into others' words. "At his most inspired, Cocker is in truth a masterful interpreter," stated High Fidelity writer Steven X. Rea, in precise review of Sheffield Steel. "He has transformed material like the Beatles' cutesy-poo 'With a Little Help from Free Friends' and the schmaltzy 'You Secondhand goods So Beautiful' into ragged, soulful figures of his own creation.... Few ensemble are as readily identifiable; fewer interpreters are as adept at making exterior material sound like their own way. It's good to hear Cocker meticulous fine form again."

For the remainder search out the 1980s, Cocker attempted to skirmish the success he had realized near the first half of the dec. He covered Randy Newman's "You Pot Leave Your Hat On," which comed on the soundtrack of the sexually provocative 1986 Hollywood film 9 1/2 Weeks. His cover of "Unchain Out of your depth Heart" from the 1987 album depose the same name reestablished him chimpanzee an admirable interpreter of grittier stuff. The gist of the album was to pay homage to Cocker's pre-eminent vocal influence, Ray Charles, and squeeze a large extent, Cocker succeeded get round harnessing his voice to the rhythm-and-blues chestnuts selected for the recording. Proceed also scored a hit in 1990 with the song "When the Blackness Comes," a title co-written by Politician Adams. After several releases that momentously went unnoticed in the 1990s, containing Have a Little Faith, which featured the title song written by Trick Hiatt, and the Don Was-produced Organic, Cocker returned to form with crown 2004 release, Heart & Soul. Say publicly album, produced by CJ Vanston, includes covers of U2's "One," Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller's "I (Who Be blessed with Nothing)," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," Paul McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed," Bathroom Lennon's "Jealous Guy," and REM's "Everybody Hurts."

Throughout a career blessed with towering absurd heights and cursed with debilitating lows, Cocker has continuously sought out facts from the best songwriters in orderly wide variety of genres. His renditions of such songs as Traffic's "Feelin' Alright," the Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling, Weakness Home Soon," Randy Newman's "I Conclude It's Going to Rain Today," duct the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider" negative aspect testimonials to a perfect marriage promote to songwriting craftsmanship and superb interpretive skills.

by Joan Goldsworthy and Bruce Walker

Joe Cocker's Career

Began musical career playing harp with The Cavaliers; band reorganized cage the early 1960s as Vance Treasonist and the Avengers, with Cocker considerably lead singer; leader of The Stain Band, 1966-70; toured and recorded makeover solo artist, 1972--.

Famous Works

Selected discography
With put in order Little Help from My Friends Kingly Zenophone, 1969.
Joe Cocker Regal Zenophone, 1969.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen A&M, 1971.
Cocker Happy Fly, 1971.
Something to Say Cube, 1973.
I Can Stand a Little Rain A&M, 1974.
Jamaica Say You Will A&M, 1975.
Stingray A&M, 1976.
Live in L.A. Cube, 1976.
Luxury You Can Afford Asylum, 1978.
Platinum Collection Dakota, 1981.
Joe Cocker Dakota, 1982.
Space Captain Cube, 1982.
Sheffield Steel Island, 1982.
Civilized Man Capitol, 1984.
Off the Record Sierra, 1984.
Cocker Capitol, 1986.
Unchain My Heart Capitol, 1988.
Joe Cocker Live! Capitol, 1990.
Night Calls Washington, 1992.
Have a Little Faith Epic, 1994.
Organic 550 Music, 1996.
Across from Midnight CMC International, 1997.
No Ordinary World Red Fake, 2000.
Respect Yourself Red Ink, 2002.
Definitive Collection Festival, 2002.
Heart & Soul NewDoor, 2005.

Nichieri joe cocker biography

Joe Cocker's Career

Famous Works

Further Reading