Up Where He Belongs: An Examination of Joe Cocker's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Candidacy
Introduction - Something’s Coming On: Joe Cocker at Woodstock ‘69
The summer of 1969 marked one of the most turbulent times in recent American history. Just one year removed from the political assassinations of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and 1968 democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, The Vietnam War prolonged and more Americans developed increasingly negative sentiments against the War. In June, the Stonewall riots sparked the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement when activists fought back against the discrimination of New York police officers. The Apollo 11 moon landing captivated the world’s attention that July and almost single-handedly ended the space race. Charles Manson’s family wreaked havoc on Los Angeles in August, resulting in several murders including actress Sharon Tate. A roller coaster of a summer culminated in the creation of arguably rock music’s most famous music festival: Woodstock.
Taking place from August 15-18, 1969 on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, New York, Woodstock’s advertisements promised “Three Days of Peace and Music.” Woodstock became the epitome for the utopian desires of the youthful Baby Boomers who fought for equality and non-violence. Organizers expected 50,000 concertgoers, yet over half-million descended on the upstate New York farm (there are reports that another half-million populated the town that weekend). Despite all the logistical issues of the concert (e.g., overpopulation, lack of food and supplies, health and safety issues, inconsistent weather), Woodstock largely remained a peaceful event and provided concertogers an opportunity to escape the harsh realities of the time period. More importantly, Woodstock proved the countercultural ideas could be practiced in peace and harmony.
On the third and final day of the Festival, singer Joe Cocker and his Grease Band opened the day’s festivities with a 13-song setlist lasting an hour-and-a-half. A relative-unknown in the U.S., Cocker and his band became mainstays on the music festival circuit throughout 1969 to promote their album With a Little Help from My Friends (1969). Cocker’s set mainly consisted of Bob Dylan and Ray Charles covers, but the performance concluded with a star-making rendition of The Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Cocker’s take is a radical re-arrangement of the light-hearted Ringo Starr-sung tune, adding heavy guitar sounds and soulful—almost gospel-esque—vocals. Sporting a faded tie-dye shirt and blue pants, Cocker’s a visual mess with his disheveled hair and scruffy facial hair. He looks like one of the festival’s concertgoers sitting in the audience. Forever immortalized in Michael Wadleigh’s Oscar-winning documentary Woodstock (1970), Cocker begins the final song in his setlist by stating, “We’re gonna leave you with the usual thing. The only thing I can say—as I’ve said to many people—is the title just about puts it all into focus. It’s called ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’. Remember It.”
Cocker begins the performance mimicking the guitarist onstage and plays air-guitar, almost as if the music is taking over his body and soul. He looks, in many ways, like a man possessed by an exorcist and waiting for the evil spirits to be released from within. He swings his body back-and-forth so dramatically that he looks like he could fall off the stage at any moment. Cocker’s awkward stage presence is performed in a non-parodic way: this is the way he would actually perform the song. There’s something refreshing about Cocker’s lack of self-awareness. Cocker’s Woodstock performance would become emblematic of his stage shows for the rest of his career. If concertgoers had any doubts of Cocker’s stage presence, his scream at the five-minute mark sealed his fate as one of the finest singers of his generation. They even applauded his efforts before the song is finished. Again, the performance just exudes a religious experience and makes you a believer in whatever Cocker is preaching onstage. After the song concluded and Cocker’s band left the stage, a storm clouded the outdoor festival and temporarily delayed the next performance. It’s almost as if the gods up above stopped the festival at the exact moment Cocker left the stage. A star was born on that hot night in the summer of 1969.
Just as Otis Redding and Janis Joplin became overnight stars when they performed at the Monterey Pop Music Festival a few years earlier, Joe Cocker’s performance is one of the Festival’s most memorable moments and he finally became an international superstar. In an interview for the documentary Mad Dog with Soul (2017), Billy Joel recalls attending Woodstock ’69 and seeing Cocker perform at the show. “It’s startling how strong his voice was. It was shocking.” In Woodstock’s aftermath, Cocker became arguably the biggest solo male rock star in the world from 1969-1971, one of rock music’s most competitive and prolific eras. Billy Joel later concludes, “There’s three things I remember about 1969: Woodstock, The Led Zeppelin album came out, and the Joe Cocker album. And that’s how I sum up 1969.” The song would later serve as the theme song for the hit television series The Wonder Years (1988-1993) and later added to the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.
Next month, Woodstock will be celebrating its 50th anniversary and remains one of the defining events in rock-and-roll history. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been promoting the upcoming anniversary with special exhibits, concerts, social media posts, and, of course, merchandise to honor the occasion. With Woodstock constantly in the news as of late, perhaps the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Nominating Committee will revisit some of the festival’s performers not yet enshrined in their institution. Joe Cocker’s name could and should be brought up in the room and it’s almost puzzling he has never been nominated in his 25 years of eligibility (beginning in 1994). Just for Cocker’s star-making performance at Woodstock, he deserves at least a nomination on an upcoming ballot. This entry explores Cocker’s life and career and argues for his inclusion into the Rock Hall.
I Can Stand A Little Rain: Joe Cocker’s Life and Career
Born on May 20, 1944, John Cocker was raised by a working-class family in Sheffield, England. John was eventually given the nickname “Joe” at some point in his childhood from either the name of a local cleaning store or from a game (“Cowboy Joe”). No one knows what he got the nickname “Joe,” but the nickname stuck. The young Joe aspired to become a singer after listening to Ray Charles’ “What I’d Say” on his transistor radio at age 10 and became Cocker’s first musical idol. Cocker even based his vocal sounds after Charles, something that many critics and fans would take notice for much of Cocker’s career. Cocker began performing at various clubs over the next several years, even having to pay to get into those establishments since he was underage. He formed his first group The Cavaliers in 1960 but it was short-lived, lasting only a year. Shortly thereafter, Cocker changed his stage name to “Vance Arnold,” an homage to Elvis’ character Vince Everett from Jailhouse Rock (1957) and country singer Eddy Arnold. Notice how American music, particularly from the southern region, influenced Cocker and the music he created. As Vance Arnold, he formed the backup band The Avengers where they played early rock and blues standards from the likes of Chuck Berry, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, and, of course, Ray Charles.
Although they found moderate success playing live shows throughout the Sheffield area, Cocker impressed an executive at Decca records and signed a contract as a solo artist in 1964. His first single was, ironically, a cover of The Beatles’ “I’ll Cry Instead,” which flopped and Cocker was released from his contract by the end of that year. During this time, Cocker dropped the Vance Arnold gimmick (a really bad name in hindsight) and adopted his old nickname “Joe” Cocker as his stage name. After a short hiatus, he formed The Grease Band and worked once again with Chris Stainton, a person who would work closely with Cocker for the rest of the former’s career. The Grease Band’s success on the English touring scene caught the attention of veteran producer Denny Cordell, who produced records for The Moody Blues and Procol Harum, and produced Cocker’s next single “Marjorine” (1966), co-written by Cocker and Stainton. The song a minor hit and did not take Cocker to stardom as he had hoped.
After two unsuccessful attempts to record, Cocker recorded yet another Beatles cover which proved to be this breakthrough: “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Featuring an all-star (yes, a Ringo reference!) lineup of great musicians on the recording (Jimmy Page on lead guitar, Procol Harum’s B.J. Wilson on drums, and Chris Stainton on bass), the song was a radical departure from the Beatles’ version. Cocker turned the song into a soulful, almost gospel-esque, and guitar-driven masterpiece and quickly became one of the greatest cover songs ever recorded. To promote the album of the same name, Cocker and the Grease Band toured extensively throughout much of 1969 including several high-profile music festivals gigs (including Woodstock, which was discussed in-length in the introduction). Cocker’s performance at Woodstock propelled him to international superstardom.
A&M Records created more tour dates to capitalize on Cocker’s emerging popularity in the U.S. Cocker, who toured for most of the last two years, was burnt out and wanted to take a break from touring. With the contracts signed and tickets for venues sold, Cocker had no choice but to commit to the tour—much to his chagrin. In March 1970, Cocker embarked on the Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour, which took its name from a 1930s Noel Coward song, and featured an impressive lineup of musicians including Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge. and Jim Price. Comprising of dozens of musicians, the tour included 52 shows in 48 cities and can be described as a rock-and-roll circus. Russell served as the tour’s musical director, which took a lot of the stress from Cocker. The tour and its performance at the Fillmore East in New York were captured in the film Mad Dogs & Englishmen (1970) and produced by Cocker’s A&M Records boss Jerry Moss. The film’s soundtrack soared to #2 on the Billboard Album Charts (later certified gold by the RIAA) and spawned Cocker’s first U.S. top-ten hit “The Letter,” a cover of The Box Tops’ former #1 hit. Although the tour and its album came at the height of Cocker’s initial popularity in the U.S., the success came at a price. Illicit drugs were widely available on the tour and Cocker turned to harder drugs which would definitely affect the quality of his work over the next several years. And the tour’s expenses became so overblown and out-of-control that hardly any profit was made from it. All that hard work and yet nothing to show for it, Cocker returned to his native England to live with his parents. They became frightened to find their son drug addicted and barely recognized him.
After the tour concluded, Cocker stepped away from the music industry for a two-year period to turn his life around. Battling drug addiction and mental health issues, Cocker needed to get his life back on track. Along with frequent collaborator Chris Stainton, Cocker resumed touring and playing to large crowds in the United States and Europe. While touring Australia in October 1972, Cocker and a few of his bandmates were arrested for possession of marijuana. In lieu of jail time, Cocker and company was given 48 hours to leave the country by the Australian police authorities and they rushed out of there. Around this time, an addiction to heroin nearly killed Cocker but he kicked the habit by mid-1973. But Cocker’s alcoholism became more rampant and substantially affected his career. He tried to perform while under the influence, but was unable to, which disappointed both fans and industry people. There are multiple reports that Cocker was so intoxicated that he had vomited and passed out onstage. Cocker’s life was in total disarray by the mid-1970s.
Despite Cocker’s ongoing dependency for alcohol, he went to the studio to record the album I Can Stand a Little Rain in 1974. He scored his first U.S. top-five hit with the Billy Preston-penned “You Are So Beautiful” the following year and became a comeback hit for the ailing rock singer. Jimmy Webb’s simple arrangements--mainly consisting of a piano--highlighted the singer’s raw and emotional vocals. There’s a moment towards the end of the song when Cocker tries to hit a high pitch and appears slightly off-key. Cocker’s rough-sounding vocal is a testament to the struggles and obstacles he faced during this period. Even if the song sounds corny by today’s standards, “You Are So Beautiful” is a masterwork of simplicity. Despite the song’s tremendous success, Cocker still struggled with alcoholism and his live performances suffered and sales sharply decline. Cocker was essentially back to square-one.
Around this time, Cocker continued to battle substance abuse and incurred over $800,000 in debt to A&M Records. After a string of unsuccessful albums in the late 1970s, A&M president Jerry Moss released Cocker from his contract. Cocker eventually sought-after Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang as his new manager. Lang, a longtime friend of Cocker’s, agreed to help but under one condition: stay sober! Lang assembled a backing band of skilled musicians who did not live the hard-partying rock-and-roll lifestyle that Cocker enjoyed for most of that decade. Slowly getting his life back on-track, Cocker rented a ranch owned by Jane Fonda in Santa Barbara, California and met his future wife Pam. Cocker began touring once again and eventually began recording new material.
John Belushi’s impersonations of Cocker on Saturday Night Live became legendary. On one episode, Belushi performs a Cocker-esque rendition of “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Donning a faded tie-dye shirt and ripped blue jeans, clearly a parody of Cocker’s famous Woodstock set. Accompanied by two black female singers, Belushi mimics Cocker’s performance mannerisms and cranks it up to an eleven. Belushi sways his hands back-and-forth and displays some truly painful-looking facial expressions, almost as if Belushi is possessed by the devil himself. Midway through the performance, Belushi pours a can of beer on himself which could be a commentary on Cocker’s notorious drinking habits while performing onstage. The comedian ends the set when he throws himself offstage and rolls around on the floor. A truly bizarre performance, Belushi captured the awkwardness of Cocker’s stage performances and the impersonation became Belushi’s most famous on SNL.
On an October 1976 episode, Belushi joined Cocker onstage for a rendition of the latter’s hit “Feelin’ Alright.” Cocker begins the set singing the song in his usual style. By the start of the second verse, Belushi joins Cocker onstage and sports a similar attire to the iconic British rocker. While Belushi sings, Cocker takes off his white sports coat, almost as if the gloves are coming off and a battle looms onstage between the two entertainers. The standoff between the two performers is truly hilarious and a sight to behold. Apparently Cocker did not see Belushi’s earlier parody of “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “did not know what to expect. And the band—Stuff—they didn’t want to know at all. Belushi was just a piece of the woodwork as far as they were concerned” (Bean, 123-124). It’s a shame that Cocker and company were not as keen on Belushi’s impersonation, but the performance became a highlight in the early years of SNL.
In 1982, Cocker and Jennifer Warnes recorded the romantic duet “Up Where We Belong” as the theme song for the romantic drama An Officer and A Gentleman (1982). Cocker had his reservations about the song: “I almost didn’t want to record that—the demo was dreadful!” (Bean, 152). And Cocker recalls, producer Chris Blackwell “hated it…didn’t even want to release it…It wasn’t R&B and after doing Sheffield Steel it sort of rubbed him the wrong way” (Bean, 152-53). Despite the reservations, the song became a smash hit and ended a seven-year dry spell for the British singer on the American charts: becoming Cocker’s sole #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and won him a 1983 Grammy for Best Pop Vocal By a Duo or Group. The song also won the Oscar for Best Original Song which featured Cocker and Warnes performing their hit. Just when Cocker had bleak prospects about his future, the song’s success propelled Cocker back to the limelight and he consistently recorded new material throughout the next three decades of his career.
The 1980’s was a productive time period for Cocker. Heavily inspired by his idol Ray Charles (Cocker is on the record saying Charles is like “a God to me”), Cocker performed alongside his idol for a 1983 show. In an interview with both Cocker and Charles [featured in the documentary Mad Dog with Soul (2017)], the interviewer asked Charles whether he felt Cocker ripped off the Genius’ vocal style. Charles playfully answers: “[People] are always hitting at me ‘Don’t you think he sounds like you?’ Well, if he does, then he’s the best replica in the whole world.” An embrace between the two performers cemented Cocker’s status as one of the finest rock singers of his time. Cocker’s version of the Randy Newman-penned “You Can Leave Your Hat On” became popular after it was used in a striptease sequence in the film 9 ½ Weeks (1986). Newman reflects on Cocker’s cover: “It’s an honor when someone of that quality does your stuff. There aren’t many people of that quality, really.”
After a mishap of changed tour dates and existing tension between Lang and Cocker, Cocker dissolved his partnership with manager Michael Lang through a letter sent by Cocker’s lawyer. According to Lang in Mad Dog with Soul, Cocker did not call Lang and the two men never spoke again. This seemed like a petty thing for Cocker to do, especially when Lang almost single handedly rose Cocker from the ashes of rock obliteration a decade earlier. Dissolving partnerships, burning bridges, and permanently closing doors is a consistent theme throughout Cocker’s professional career. Look at the way Cocker tossed away the likes of Leon Russell, Jerry Moss, Chris Blackwell, Michael Lang, and other band members throughout his career. Very few of the partnerships ended well and left all parties involved became bitter and hurt.
In 1991, Roger Davies becomes Cocker’s new manager, who was responsible for Tina Turner’s huge comeback in the mid-1980s. As mentioned in Mad Dog with Soul, Davies helped “clean-up” Cocker’s image in hopes of making him an “international artist.” Well-groomed, and clean-shaven, Cocker now looked the part and embarked on a major world tour in 1994. He performed at bigger venues and the production values went “up a notch,” touring with famous artists such as Tina Turner and Steve Miller. Cocker was the opening act at Woodstock ‘94, one of the few artists who performed at the iconic festival a quarter-century earlier. In 2002, Cocker performed “With a Little Help from My Friends” alongside rock icons Brian May and Phil Collins at Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Five years later in 2007, Cocker was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services and contributions to music. That same year, he appeared in the Beatles jukebox musical Across the Universe (2007) where he sings a rendition of “Come Together.” After performing in Germany in September 2013, Cocker returned to Colorado and was diagnosed with lung cancer. Although he and his publicity team kept quiet on Cocker’s health issues, the singer passed away on December 22, 2014 at the age of 70.
Many Rivers to Cross: Making the Case for Joe Cocker in the Rock Hall
Joe Cocker is simply one of the greatest singers in the history of rock music. He is a singular talent and someone who possesses a distinctive gravelly voice. Perhaps Cocker’s stage mannerisms and movements overshadowed his singing abilities, but that should not take away his ability as a great singer. He is a proprietor of blue-eyed soul, emulating the vocal style of his idol Ray Charles, and deserves to be listed amongst the likes of Steve Winwood, Dusty Springfield, and Eric Burdon. He does appear on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” list, which at least gives him some acclaim amongst critics and decent momentum for a potential Rock Hall nomination.
Joe Cocker’s music is still played on classic rock and AOR radio stations, which is a major advantage for his Rock Hall candidacy in the wake of the populist push of classic rock artists this past decade. There’s no doubt that Cocker’s name would do well on the Fan Vote and if he ever appears on an actual HOF ballot, there’s little doubt he’d rank somewhere in the top five. In short, any artist whose music still plays on classic rock stations and are not already inducted into the Rock Hall (e.g., Jethro Tull, Pat Benatar, Todd Rundgren, Foreigner, Boston, The J. Geils Band), should have a strong chance for a nomination down the road.
With The Zombies recently getting a Rock Hall induction this past year, many Rock Hall watchers pondered if we’re nearing the end of pre-1960s artists getting inducted. I honestly do not think the Rock Hall has closed the book on the 1960s quite yet, especially considering that is arguably the decade with the most depth (in terms of artists either starting their careers or peaking in the 1960s). There’s many possibilities of who might be the “next” ‘60s artists nominated for next year’s ceremony. Last year, I predicted Love because Nominating Committee member Alan Light mentioned Lenny Kaye advocated for Dire Straits and Love for the 2018 ballot (Dire Straits was nominated and inducted that year). Little Steven Van Zandt, another Nominating Committee member, has continually sung the praises of progressive rock band Procol Harum, who received a 2013 nomination, but their monster smash “A White Shade of Pale” was included as a HOF Single last year (which signals a possible dead-end for any momentum they had). Other 1960s artists never nominated such as Harry Nilsson, The Monkees, Tommy James & The Shondells, Lesley Gore, and Love. Cocker has as strong of a chance to get a nomination as any of these performers from that decade to get a long overdue nomination.
And Cocker has another advantage: his association with the Beatles, and the Rock Hall LOVES anything associated with The Beatles. There’s a permanent exhibit dedicated to the Fab Four and they are arguably the most popular rock band in history. In an interview shortly after Cocker’s 2014 passing, Paul McCartney praised Cocker: “I was especially pleased when he decided to cover ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’ and it was just mind blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful to him for doing that.” Ringo Starr similarly paid tribute to Cocker in a tweet, “Goodbye and God bless Joe Cocker from one of his friends. Peace and Love.” Maybe if Cocker is inducted someday, a few of his former friends from a little band called The Beatles will show up, induct him, and perform. This is exactly what HBO would want to showcase at one of the annual ceremonies.
Steven Van Zandt, who is a 2014 Rock Hall inductee and serves as a member of the Nominating Committee, believes Cocker “brought Ray Charles to the mix as an influence on rock & roll.” Just last summer, a fan asked Van Zandt on Twitter what he believed was the greatest cover of all time and he answered, “‘A Little Help From My Friends’ (Joe Cocker) comes immediately to mind.” Not that this means much, but Cocker’s music is in regular rotation on Van Zandt’s SiriusXM channel Underground Garage. Although Van Zandt has advocated for the likes of The J. Geils Band and Procol Harum in recent years, why not focus his energy on getting Joe Cocker on the ballot? If anything, Cocker has the makings of becoming an FYN (inducted the first year appearing on a Rock Hall ballot) the second he appears on an official ballot.
Longevity is a hallmark of Cocker’s career. In a career spanning nearly half-century, Cocker managed to have a substantial career. He experienced two comebacks in his career with 1974’s “You Are So Beautiful” and 1982’s “Up Where We Belong.” Most artists are not afforded with the opportunity to have a single comeback in their career, let alone two. Billy Joel referred to Cocker as “Joe Cockroach” because no matter how many times he seems down-and-out, he overcomes the struggles and becomes even stronger.
Personally, I will never, ever understand how Joe Cocker’s lack of songwriting credits is a detriment to his Rock Hall candidacy. Sure, Cocker made a career out of performing covers, and that is a black mark in the eyes of some voters, but so did many rock-and-roller performers. In fact, there’s lots of interpreters inducted into the Rock Hall over the years such as Elvis Presley, Linda Ronstadt, and most of the Motown artists (with the exception of Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye). So why is this used as a knock against Cocker? Well, I believe Cocker’s rise to superstardom in 1969 coincided with the rise of the singer-songwriter movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Artists such as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, and Jackson Browne emerged as prominent figures who took confessional lyrics and turned them into mainstream success stories. Up until the last few years, the Rock Hall LOVED singer-songwriters and inducted them every chance they could. It’s a wonder how the likes of Tom Waits, Dr. John, and Bobby Womack got inducted as soon as they appeared on a Rock Hall ballot (and yes, all 3 are very worthy of the honor and it’s not a knock against them). If Cocker’s initial success came earlier that decade and coincided with the British Invasion era, he would’ve already been inducted into the Rock Hall. Cocker’s a powerhouse of a talent and that is what really matters.
Conclusion - My Friend Wrote Me a Letter: The Piano Man Vouches for the Mad Dog
It’s telling that the last 5-10 minutes of the recent Joe Cocker documentary Mad Dog with Soul focuses on Cocker’s exclusion from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Randy Newman appears dumbfounded and takes a long pause before stating, “How can that be?” Well, the documentary focuses on the highs and lows of Cocker’s professional career and private life. A common theme throughout is Cocker’s inability to maintain partnerships in the music industry. He essentially burnt every bridge he had in the music industry. Let’s face it, people hold grudges and sometimes they cannot be forgiven. And Cocker did a lot of terrible things in his career - firing band members without telling them, racking up nearly $1 million in debt to A&M Records, having his lawyer send Michael Lang his termination letter by mail, and being unable to perform while intoxicated. Cocker’s no saint by any imagination (few rock stars are), but some of these actions are inexcusable.
Despite whatever prejudices music critics and some industry people hold against Cocker on a professional and personal level, Billy Joel is one of rock music’s most iconic and popular performers. Joel is also a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1999. Joel has inducted numerous artists into the Rock Hall over the years, such as Fats Domino (1986), The Drifters (1988), Sam & Dave (1992), and The Righteous Brothers (2003). What do most of those artists have in common? They are all foundational R&B artists who influenced and impacted Joel in his youth. Joe Cocker was one of Joel’s favorite performers in the late 1960s. In Mad Dog with Soul, Joel recalls fond memories of hearing Cocker’s records and even seeing the British singer perform live at Woodstock.
Performing at Madison Square Garden in September 2014, Joel took a moment to talk about Joe Cocker who was battling serious health issues at the time. Joel called Cocker “a great singer who is not very well right now. I think he should be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I’m amazed that he’s not yet, but I’m throwing in my vote for Joe Cocker.” Joel paid homage to Cocker by performing “With a Little Help from My Friends.” When Joel said this statement, there was hardly any information regarding Cocker’s health issues. Cocker took an extended break from touring in September 2013, but the details were very muddled and no official comments made from Cocker’s publicity team.
Joel has been quite vocal in his desire to see Cocker enshrined among the greats in the Rock Hall, even penning a letter to the Nominating Committee that same month. Despite Joel’s pleas, Cocker has not appeared on an official Rock Hall ballot. If someone as famous and active with the Rock Hall as Billy Joel cannot convince the Nominating Committee to put Cocker’s name on the ballot, this does not bode well for Cocker’s candidacy. And this is a shame considering Cocker is one of the all-time great rock interpreters. Nobody sounded quite like Joe Cocker and if raw talent was a qualification, Joe Cocker would have been inducted a long time ago.
Recently, Who Cares about the Rock Hall? conducted a poll on Twitter asking fans “When will Joe Cocker be inducted into the Rock Hall?” Broken down into four categories (Within 5 years, 5-10 years, 10+ years, or never), 34% believe Cocker will be inducted within 5 years. Yet an almost equal number of voters do not believe he will ever be inducted. Although the poll shed some spotlight on Cocker’s continuous Rock Hall snub, it proved that Cocker’s candidacy and overall worthiness is still an issue. There seems to be no sense of urgency to put Cocker into the Rock Hall from the Nominating Committee. I mean, if it did not happen right after he passed, why would his chances be better five years later? Regardless, Cocker deserves induction into the Rock Hall as a unique talent who captivated the world’s attention whenever he went out onstage and performed. Very few performers have the ability to make covers their own and sometimes even out-shadow the originals. Without a Rock Hall induction, Joe Cocker just isn’t feelin’ alright and neither am I.
