Joe Cocker - an old rocker

Joe Cocker was born on 20 May in 1944

Joe is one of the last of a dying breed – a singer who becomes successful on the strength of singing other people’s songs.  Nowadays it seems to me that to really get traction (sorry about the split infinitive) you have to be a talented song writer as well as singer.

Wikipedia lists 21 studio albums to Joe Cocker’s name.  That is quite a number.  His latest album is called “Hard Knocks”.  It was released in 2010.

He has been performing since 1961 – joining another group of aging artists that can still rock the house.  He got his first number one hit in 1968 with a cover of the Beatles song “Just a little help from my friends”.  He sang this at Woodstock in 1969.

Rolling Stone named him as one of the top 100 singers of all time.

He is not related to Jarvis Cocker – despite them both hailing from Sheffield in the UK.

What is your favourite Joe Cocker number?  Mine include:

You can leave your hat on

Unchain my heart

The Letter

You are so Beautiful.