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Joe Cocker, one of the truly great rock voices of all time, was born in Sheffield, England on May 20, 1944, the youngest son of a civil servant. In 1961 Joe became Vance Arnold - by day working as an apprentice gas fitter and by night, in dark suit and bow tie, singing with The Avengers in rough Sheffield pubs. His set included songs by mentor Ray Charles "What'd I Say" and "Georgia On My Mind." Vance Arnold and the Avengers' biggest moment came in 1963 when they supported The Rolling Stones at Sheffield City Hall, and brought the house down.
The following year Joe Cocker left the Gas Board and released his first single, a cover of The Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead." His band was now Joe Cocker's Big Blues. They built up a large following in the north of England and ventured to France for a two month stint, playing on American airbases. The servicemen, many from the Deep South, loved Joe, while the French called him 'Le Petit Ray Charles.' But when he returned home, the bottom had fallen out of the local scene and Joe Cocker Big Blues folded.
For a year he never did a gig. Then along came the man whom Joe has called the greatest musician in the world, Chris Stainton, and The Grease Band was formed.
Songs were written, and a demo soon found its way to Denny Cordell, the producer of The Moody Blues, Georgie Fame, and Procol Harum. Cordell liked what he heard and Joe Cocker moved to London and a residency at The Marquee. His first single with Cordell-Marjorine showed promise and only a few months later, "With A Little Help From My Friends" went to number one in the British charts and was a hit all over Europe. America loved Joe Cocker from his first television appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1969. The Press seized upon him - "The voice of all those blind criers and crazy beggars and maimed men who summon up a strength we'll never know to bawl out their souls in the streets," said Life magazine.
But Joe Cocker wasn't singing in the streets. He was singing at all the major rock festivals of that summer, culminating in the filmed triumph of Woodstock before half a million people - a phenomenal rip-roaring testimony to Joe Cocker in his absolute prime. Of the ensuing "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," Joe has said: "My thoughts were off to Venus, heading for Outer Space."
Along with Leon Russell and a menagerie of musicians, managers, roadies, wives, girlfriends, hangers on, children and a spotted dog, plus a film crew, Joe played forty-eight cities in fifty-six days, to rapturous receptions everywhere. But the tour left him battered and exhausted and, far from Venus, he ended up, in his own words, in a heap in Los Angeles, very disillusioned with the rock business.
That year, 1970, Joe Cocker sold $3 million worth of records in America alone. His first three albums went Platinum and Playboy voted him number one vocalist in their annual jazz and rock poll. Yet, he kept on making albums and songs like "Guilty," "The Moon's A Harsh Mistress" and "You Are So Beautiful," songs that have become Joe Cocker classics. All date from the darkest days, back in the mid 1970's.
As the 80's dawned, Joe was invited by The Crusaders to join them on a song they had written specially for him, "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today." The lyrics said it all and Joe received a standing ovation when he sang the song at the Grammy Awards. His duet with Jennifer Warnes on "Up Where We Belong," the theme from "An Officer And A Gentleman," brought an appearance at the Oscars ceremony and a hit world-wide, including Joe's first ever American number one.
From that point on, Joe Cocker has gone from strength to strength. His Capitol albums from "Civilized Man" onwards have been tremendously successful. "Cocker," "Unchain My Heart," and "One Night Of Sin" all turned Platinum, the latter also delivering Joe a US Top Ten song "When The Night Comes," written by Bryan Adams. Joe's album "Night Calls," the title single penned by Jeff Lynne, turned Gold and headed towards Platinum all across Europe within weeks of its release in Autumn '91.
He has sung theme songs for movies "9 1/2 Weeks," "Harry and The Hendersons," "Bull Durham," and "An Innocent Man" and in 1991 recorded "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word" on the Elton John/Bernie Taupin tribute "Two Rooms" which has sold more than 3 million units world wide.
Joe Cocker has toured extensively and to great acclaim, not least in Europe where he enjoys a massive following. There have been awards and accolades galore and among many prestigious shows, he has played for British royalty at a Princes Trust Gala, Nelson Mandela's Birthday Concert, the Konzert for Berlin that celebrated the breaching of the Wall and, in his adopted homeland of America, the inauguration ceremony for President George Bush.
Joe Cocker is a survivor, a star and a rock legend. He has had hit records in the 1960's, 70's, 80's and 90's. Success has brought with it a grueling schedule of recording and touring, but after more than twenty-five years on the road he has no plans to ease up. And the future? "As long as being on stage is fun," says Joe, "as long as I enjoy that part and still get a buzz out of performing, then I'll keep going out there."
Notable songs include --
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