Joe Cocker Quotes & Most Memorable Songs: Dies at Age 70 [VIDEOS]
Joe Cocker, one of rock music's most soulful and powerful vocalists, died in his Colorado home on Monday after a long battle with lung cancer. The 70-year-old singer-songwriter's career spanned 22 studio albums over 50 years.
Musicians of all genres have taken to social media to pay their respects, including Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and hip hop artist Lupe Fiasco. One of the first was Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, who tweeted: "Goodbye and God bless to Joe Cocker."
In a statement, Paul McCartney recalled his relationship with Cocker, saying "I was so sad to hear that he had been ill and really sad to hear today that he had passed away." McCartney added, "He was a great guy, a lovely guy who brought so much to the world and we'll all miss him." Cocker and the Beatles' will forever be linked as their careers began around the same time as youngsters in England.
Cocker's rendition of "With a Little Help From My Friends" became a No. 1 single in England and launched him into international stardom. From his performance at the Woodstock Festival to the song cover's reminiscent inclusion in The Wonder Years' opening intro, Cocker's legacy transcends changes in pop music over the last half century.
Here's a look back at some of Cocker's most notable songs, along with his more memorable quotes.
- 1. With a Little Help From My Friends (Beatles Cover)
"It's all a matter of hearing what I like and seeing if I can make it fit my style."
- 2. You Are So Beautiful
"It's interesting, as I said on the last tour in America, the audience actually came out, they had to have been the kind of fans who listened to my music via their parents."
- 3. Up Where We Belong
"Don't go on American Idol. I think you'll spend the rest of your life living it down and I think it's getting kinda scary, isn't it?"
- 4. The Letter
"Once you get into entertaining a quarter of a million people, it's a very weird place to be."
- 5. Feelin' Alright
"God, I'm just a fat bald guy, 60 years old, singing the blues, you know?"
- 6. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (Beatles Cover)
"I have sung to large crowds since then, and there is a feeling that once you get over 100,000 people, you kind of lose the control element. You don't know if you are really getting through or not."