Joe Cocker

On Tour
Play Radio

7,435,087 plays (770,959 listeners)

Shop now at Amazon | Send Joe Cocker Ringtones to Cell
More options
Add to my Library
Joe Cocker OBE (born 20 May 1944) is an English / singer who came to popularity in the , most known for his voice and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles.

Joe Cocker was born in Sheffield, England, the youngest son of a civil servant. In 1961 Joe by day, worked as an apprentice gas fitter and by night, in dark suit and bow tie, became Vance Arnold singing with The Avengers in rough Sheffield pubs. The 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 left the Gas Board and 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.

The servicemen, many from America’s deep south, loved Joe. The French called him “Le Petit Ray Charles”. Unfortunately when he returned home to England the bottom had fallen out of the local scene. Joe Cocker Big Blues folded.

For an entire year Joe never did a gig. Then along came the man Joe has called the greatest musician in the world, Chris Stainton. With Chris The Grease Band was formed.

Songs were written. Soon a demo found its way to Denny Cordell, the producer of The Moody Blues, Georgie Fame, and Procul Harum. Cordell liked what he heard of Joe, and soon set him up in London with a residency at The Marquee.
Read more… Edit

Shouts: 274 shouts

Share this artist:

Top Albums

See more

Top Tracks

1
1,648
2
1,506
3
1,313
4
858
5
782
6
701
7  
513
8
469
9
391
10
349
11
328
12
324
13
279
14
270
15
266
Buy all tracks at Amazon MP3
See more

Shoutbox

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).
  • ryotego

    Sunday evening
  • fi-ga

    Only guy who can cover someones song and make it sound even better! [2]

    Saturday afternoon
  • deadybyebaby

    Only guy who can cover someones song and make it sound even better!

    last week
  • Mozgovybivashka

    You Can Leave Your Hat On <3

    11 days ago
  • thompsonjohn

    New album "Hard Cocks"

    14 days ago
  • juniordorozario

    http://rockestra-edu.blogspot.com/2012/02/revolver-1966-beatles.html

    16 days ago
  • lottadogs

    great voice...he does great covers of the Beatles

    last month
  • plaxevoador_

    <333

    last month
  • strat-struck

    @shakalaka, good or bad music is not the point. The point is, people need to KNOW what the music and tags are before they tag it, instead of guessing. Like Ufis9, if I listen to Liquid DnB, I am obviously not in a blues mood!!!

    December 2011
  • shakalaka

    whatever, those falsely tagged artists could direct you to some great music you otherwise might missed out on

    December 2011
  • strat-struck

    @Ufis9, REALLY! Even Phil Collins has such tags "metal" "punk" and "trance" in his tag section. Go figure.

    December 2011
  • Ufis9

    Okay, I LOVE blues, but I got here by listening to "liquid dnb" tag radio. Seriously people... can you not tag shit you're not sure about? :(

    November 2011
  • katia111

    Legend! His songs are fill in heart.

    November 2011
  • kwayne16

    change the main pic please :/

    November 2011
  • cacoethes_

    November 2011
  • dizeddoom

    damet garm .... love u man \M/

    October 2011
  • lavieuz

    <3

    September 2011
  • Ehsandiary

    You are so beautiful ♫

    September 2011
  • igorthe_killers

    You are so beautiful ♫

    September 2011
  • jazzizjrm

    MY MAN JOE COCKER IS JUST AWESOME. LOVE HIM THEN AND STILL LOVE HIM NOW. A+++++++

    September 2011
See all 274 shouts

Videos

See more

Events

See more Add event

News

A Day In the Life

12 Aug 2011 | from www.cocker.com/de-en/news/feed

You always wanted to be part of a tour and take a look behind the scenes? Now this is your chance! Joe and his crew took a camera for one day and let you see the everyday life behind the curtains. …

Add comment

See more

Listening Now

Top Listeners

See more

Recent Activity

Related Journals

See more

More Information

Links
Labels

Email Newsletter

Universal Music Group Get exclusive tour, release & promotion updates on Joe Cocker from Universal Music.