Celebrity Featured: Joe Cocker
Chair Donor: Cafe Culture
Fabric Donor: Warwick Fabrics
About Joe Cocker
Sometimes referred to as "The Sheffield Soul Shouter", Joe Cocker's career is long and illustrious. Born in 1944 in Sheffield, England, the first band with which he was involved was the Avengers, performing under a stage name of Vance Arnold. In 1963 he moved on to Big Blues and then The Grease Band in 1966. His first single was the first of many Beatles covers - I'll cry instead.
1962 saw the arrival of the famous Woodstock Music Festival, at which Cocker performed. He would later go on to perform at the 1994 concert, where he was one of the few alumni who had played at the original 32 years earlier. He was, as ever, very well received.
During the early 1970s, Cocker struggled with the problems that so many celebrities face, including a fight with Drugs and Alcohol. He managed a successful return to the music industry, however, and recorded some of his most famous work in the 80s and 90s, including: You Are So Beautiful, You Can Leave Your Hat On and Unchain My Heart. During this period, Cocker also recorded Up Where We Belong with Jennifer Warnes. The song, penned by Buffy Sainte-Marie, won the Academy Award for its use in the film An Officer and a Gentleman.
Cocker still tours today, but less frequently than in the past.