Joe Cocker

JOE COCKER GOT A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS

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Saying goodbye to Joe Cocker isn’t easy – we didn’t realize how much we’d miss him. Back in the early 70’s he spent a lot of time in Los Angeles and performed on Sunset Strip. We’d never seen ANYTHING like him. Onstage he looked like something the cat dragged in – he was dripping in sweat, his hair stuck out in all directions, his clothes were dirty and rumpled, and he could barely keep his balance. He was always in danger of falling off the stage. Drugs and alcohol were destroying him but he still sounded magnificent. His spastic twitching only added to the horror and glory. Actually, it’s surprising he lived as long as he did, and it’s nice that he continued to perform until lung cancer got him at 70.

JOE COCKER: WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS

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Photo Credit: Splash News

Joe Cocker performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival this week and we can hardly wait to see him at the Nokia this June. We have to confess we don’t think we’ve ever seen him perform when he wasn’t drunk. Remember when he appeared on Saturday Night Live and John Belushi did his Joe Cocker impersonation right onstage with him? Nowadays Joe is married to a friend of Jane Fonda and lives on the Mad Dog ranch in Colorado, far from his birthplace of Sheffield. We’re guessing he doesn’t drink as much as he used to. Click play button below to relive Joe’s song from “9 1/2 Weeks.”