Background

Career

• Cocker's first experience singing in public was at age 12 when his elder brother Victor invited him on stage to sing during a gig of his skiffle group. In 1960, along with three friends, Cocker formed his first group, the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers eventually broke up after a year and Cocker left school to become an apprentice gasfitter while he pursued a career in music.In 1961, under the stage name Vance Arnold, Cocker continued his career with a new group, Vance Arnold and the Avengers. In 1964, Cocker signed a recording contract as a solo act with Decca and released his first single, a cover of the Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead".After Cocker recorded the single, he dropped his stage name and formed a new group, Joe Cocker's Big Blues. There is only one known recording of Joe Cocker's and Big Blues on an EP given out by Sheffield College during Rag Week and called Rag Goes Mad at the Mojo.
  
  Studio albums:
  
  With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
  
  Joe Cocker! (1969)
  
  Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1970)
  
  Joe Cocker (1972/EU: 1973)
  
  I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
  
  Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
  
  Stingray (1976)
  
  Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
  
  Sheffield Steel (1982)
  
  Civilized Man (1984)
  
  Cocker (1986)
  
  Unchain My Heart (1987)
  
  One Night of Sin (1989)
  
  Night Calls (1991/US: 1992)
  
  Have a Little Faith (1994)
  
  Organic (1996)
  
  Across from Midnight (1997)
  
  No Ordinary World (1999/US: 2000)
  
  Respect Yourself (2002)
  
  Heart & Soul (2004/US: 2005)
  
  Hymn for My Soul (2007/US: 2008)
  
  Hard Knocks (2010/US: 2012)

Personality

Connections

• father: Harold Cocker
• mother: Madge Cocker
• Wife: Pam Baker