The music world lost one of the greats on Monday, as singer Joe Cocker passed away at the age of 70. According to BBC News, the legendary rock and soul voice had been battling lung cancer.
Is it possible to distill a career as full and accomplished as Cocker’s down to one or two songs? To a generation, he and his distinctively deep, raspy voice are likely best known for “With a Little Help from My Friends,” the theme for The Wonder Years, the sitcom which ran on ABC from 1988 to 1993. But we should probably remember that he performed the song at the original Woodstock in 1969.
http://youtu.be/bbMyksobL-U
But there are so many other songs Cocker is known for, such as “Feelin’ Alright,” “You Are So Beautiful,” “Unchain My Heart” and “Up Where We Belong,” the 1982 duet with Jennifer Warnes that served as the theme for An Officer and a Gentleman. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, winning a Grammy award and Oscar.
Named as one of Rolling Stone‘s top 100 singers of all time, it feels a bit reductive to associate Cocker with TV shows and movies, but I also vividly remember his “You Can Leave Your Hat On” playing in 9 1/2 Weeks during Kim Basinger’s striptease for Mickey Rourke. (You probably don’t want to click this link at work.) Regardless of the visuals, that’s just a great song.
And one of the most memorable moments associated with Cocker is this performance from Saturday Night Live, during which John Belushi did his famous imitation of Cocker’s spastic stage antics (which he said were playing an imaginary guitar or piano) right there next to Cocker. It’s one thing to imitate someone well, but when he or she is next to you in that sketch? That’s even more admirable. Cocker was a great sport for agreeing to perform alongside Belushi, giving us one of the show’s finest memories.
It’s a damn shame that Cocker isn’t already in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, something that Billy Joel called for on stage during a concert n September. The Queen of England gave him an OBE (Order of the British Empire) award for his contributions to music, yet he’s not a Hall of Famer? That’s an inexplicable, embarrassing snub that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. The man was a treasure, yet another gift from Britain to music.
Rest in peace, Joe Cocker. Your music will be playing — loudly — in so many cars and households tonight, if it hasn’t started already. May it keep going for a good, long while.
