103-550: Matthew Moore was an American singer and songwriter. His biggest commercial success is the song "Space Captain", which was recorded by Joe Cocker (1970) and Barbra Streisand (on Barbra Joan Streisand , 1971). Moore played in the group The Moon from 1967 to 1969, with whom he recorded two albums. The following year, his brother Daniel managed to put him in touch with session musician Leon Russell . Russell liked his song "Space Captain" and invited Moore to join an upcoming US tour with Cocker, where he sang backing vocals. The tour
206-592: A Kingston, Jamaica studio, Stingray . However, record sales were disappointing; the album reached only number 70 on the US charts. In May 1976, Cocker headlined an 11-date tour of Canada, and on 2 October, Cocker performed "Feelin' Alright" on Saturday Night Live . John Belushi joined him onstage doing his famous impersonation of Cocker's stage movements. At the time, Cocker was $ 800,000 in debt to A&M Records and struggling with alcoholism. Several months later, he met producer Michael Lang , who agreed to manage him on
309-518: A big band , partly as a response to increasing royalties and touring fees, becoming one of the few black artists to cross over into mainstream pop with such a level of creative control. This success, however, came to a momentary halt during a concert tour in November 1961, when a police search of Charles' hotel room in Indianapolis, Indiana, led to the discovery of heroin in the medicine cabinet. The case
412-408: A cover artist , giving his own eclectic arrangements of existing songs. With " Georgia on My Mind ", his first hit single for ABC-Paramount in 1960, Charles received national acclaim and four Grammy Awards , including two for "Georgia on My Mind" ( Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Male , and Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist ). Written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael ,
515-475: A Chance" and Dizzy Gillespie 's "Emanon". After the success of his first two singles, Charles moved to Los Angeles in 1950 and spent the next few years touring with the blues musician Lowell Fulson as Fulson's musical director. In 1950, Charles' performance in a Miami hotel impressed Henry Stone , who went on to record a Ray Charles Rockin' record, which did not achieve popularity. During his stay in Miami, Charles
618-691: A Japanese TV advertisement for the Suntory brand, releasing it in Japan as "Ellie My Love", where it reached No. 3 on its Oricon chart. In the same year he was a special guest at the Arena di Verona during the tour promoting Oro Incenso & Birra of the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari . In 2001–02, Charles appeared in commercials for the New Jersey Lottery to promote its campaign "For every dream, there's
721-447: A Joe Cocker Mad Dogs and Englishmen Memory Book was created by Linda Wolf to celebrate the event. In late 2021, the feature-length documentary Learning to Live Together was released documenting the reunion concert. In 2017, a feature-length documentary film about Cocker titled Joe Cocker: Mad Dog with Soul was released. In 1963, Cocker began dating Eileen Webster, also a resident of Sheffield. The couple dated intermittently for
824-474: A Little Help from My Friends". Cocker would later say that the experience was "like an eclipse ... it was a very special day." Directly after Woodstock, Cocker released his second album, Joe Cocker! Impressed by his version of "With a Little Help from My Friends", Paul McCartney and George Harrison allowed Cocker to use their songs " She Came In Through the Bathroom Window " and " Something " for
927-509: A River ". His version of the Box Tops ' hit " The Letter ", which appeared on the live album and film, Mad Dogs & Englishmen , became his first US Top Ten hit . After spending several months in Los Angeles, Cocker returned home to Sheffield, where his family became increasingly concerned with his deteriorating physical and mental health . In the summer of 1971, A&M Records released
1030-621: A brawl at the Commodore Chateau Hotel, and the Australian Federal Police gave Cocker 48 hours to leave the country. This caused huge public outcry in Australia, as Cocker was a high-profile overseas artist and had a strong support base, especially among the baby boomers who were coming of age and able to vote for the first time. It sparked hefty debate about the use and legalisation of marijuana in Australia, and gained Cocker
1133-458: A childhood game called "Cowboy Joe", or from a local window cleaner named Joe. Cocker's main musical influences growing up were Ray Charles and Lonnie Donegan . 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. For
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#17328908006451236-595: A cover of the Brothers Johnson 's " I'll Be Good to You ", a duet with his lifelong friend Quincy Jones and the singer Chaka Khan , which hit number one on the R&;B chart in 1990 and won Charles and Khan a Grammy for their duet. Prior to this, Charles returned to the pop charts with " Baby Grand ", a duet with singer-songwriter Billy Joel . In 1989, he recorded a cover of the Southern All Stars ' "Itoshi no Ellie" for
1339-756: A jackpot." In 2003, he headlined the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., attended by President George W. Bush , Laura Bush , Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice . Also in 2003, Charles presented Van Morrison with Morrison's award upon being inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame , and the two sang Morrison's song " Crazy Love " (the performance appears on Morrison's 2007 album The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3 ). In 2003, Charles performed "Georgia on My Mind" and "America
1442-529: A live album, and received positive reviews from Time and Life for his performances. However, the pace of the tour was exhausting. Russell and Cocker had personal problems; Cocker became depressed and began drinking excessively as the tour wound down in May 1970. Meanwhile, he enjoyed several chart entries in the United States with cover versions of " Feelin' Alright " (originally recorded by Traffic ) and " Cry Me
1545-510: A man her father worked with, took her in. The Robinson family—Bailey, his wife Mary Jane, and his mother— informally adopted her and Aretha took the surname Robinson. A few years later Aretha became pregnant by Bailey. During the ensuing scandal, she left Greenville late in the summer of 1930 to be with family back in Albany. After the birth of the child, Ray Charles, she and the infant Charles returned to Greenville. Aretha and Bailey's wife, who had lost
1648-533: A more liberal contract than other artists had at the time, with ABC offering him a $ 50,000 (US$ 522,603 in 2023 dollars ) annual advance, higher royalties than before, and eventual ownership of his master tapes —a very valuable and lucrative deal at the time. During his Atlantic years, Charles had been hailed for his inventive compositions, but by the time of the release of the largely instrumental jazz album Genius + Soul = Jazz (1960) for ABC's subsidiary label Impulse! , he had given up on writing in favor of becoming
1751-641: A music editor for Rolling Stone , "The hit records he made for Atlantic in the mid-1950s mapped out everything that would happen to rock 'n' roll and soul music in the years that followed." Charles was also an inspiration to Pink Floyd member Roger Waters , who told the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet : "I was about 15. In the middle of the night with friends, we were listening to jazz. It was " Georgia on My Mind ", Ray Charles' version. Then I thought 'One day, if I make some people feel only one-twentieth of what I am feeling now, it will be quite enough for me. ' " Ray ,
1854-625: A musician, Charles was also a record producer, producing Guitar Slim 's number 1 hit, " The Things That I Used to Do ". In June 1952, Atlantic bought Charles' contract for $ 2,500 (US$ 28,684 in 2023 dollars ). His first recording session for Atlantic ("The Midnight Hour"/"Roll with My Baby") took place in September 1952, although his last Swing Time release ("Misery in My Heart"/"The Snow Is Falling") would not appear until February 1953. In 1953, " Mess Around " became his first small hit for Atlantic; during
1957-634: A new album, I Can Stand a Little Rain . The album, released in August 1974, was number 11 on the US charts and one single, a recording of Billy Preston 's " You Are So Beautiful ", reached the number 5 slot. Despite positive reviews for the album, Cocker struggled with live performances, largely due to his problems with alcohol. One such instance was reported in a 1974 issue of Rolling Stone , which said that during two West Coast performances in October of that year he threw up onstage. In January 1975, he released
2060-590: A number of songs for most of his albums as well, often in conjunction with songwriting partner Chris Stainton . His first album featured a recording of the Beatles ' " With a Little Help from My Friends ", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in 1968, became a staple of his many live shows ( Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in 1969, the Party at
2163-472: A pianist for Charles Brantley's Honey Dippers. In his early career, Charles modeled himself on Nat King Cole . His first four recordings—"Wondering and Wondering", "Walking and Talking", "Why Did You Go?" and "I Found My Baby There"—were allegedly done in Tampa, although some discographies claim he recorded them in Miami in 1951 or else Los Angeles in 1952. Charles had always played piano for other people, but he
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#17328908006452266-563: A reputation as a talented musician in Jacksonville, but the jobs did not come fast enough for him to construct a strong identity, so, at age 16, he moved to Orlando , where he lived in borderline poverty and went without food for days. Charles eventually started to write arrangements for a pop music band, and in the summer of 1947, he unsuccessfully auditioned to play piano for Lucky Millinder and his sixteen-piece band. In 1947, Charles moved to Tampa , where he held two jobs, including one as
2369-451: A rumour to this effect (particularly in Australia, where Jarvis Cocker's father, radio presenter Mac Cocker , allowed listeners to believe that he was Joe's brother), although Joe was a friend of the family and even did some babysitting for Jarvis when the latter was an infant. In 1961, under the stage name "Vance Arnold", Cocker started a new group, Vance Arnold and the Avengers. The name
2472-407: A second album that had been recorded at the same time as I Can Stand a Little Rain , Jamaica Say You Will . To promote his new album, Cocker embarked on another tour of Australia, made possible by the country's new Labor government. In late 1975, he contributed vocals on a number of the tracks on Bo Diddley 's The 20th Anniversary of Rock 'n' Roll all-star album. He also recorded a new album in
2575-561: A son, then shared in Charles' upbringing. The father had left Greenville and married another woman elsewhere. By his first birthday, Charles had a brother, George. Charles was deeply devoted to his mother and later recalled, despite her poor health and adversity, her perseverance, self-sufficiency, and pride as guiding lights in his life. In his early years, Charles showed an interest in mechanical objects and often watched his neighbors working on their cars and farm machinery. His musical curiosity
2678-506: A television tribute to the musician. In 1983, Cocker joined a star-studded line-up of British musicians, including Jimmy Page , Eric Clapton , Jeff Beck , Steve Winwood and Bill Wyman for singer Ronnie Lane 's 1983 tour to raise money for the London-based organisation Action for Research into Multiple Sclerosis , in particular because Lane was beginning to suffer from the degenerative disease. While on another tour that year, Cocker
2781-686: Is a master of sounds. His records disclose an extraordinary assortment of slurs, glides, turns, shrieks, wails, breaks, shouts, screams and hollers, all wonderfully controlled, disciplined by inspired musicianship, and harnessed to ingenious subtleties of harmony, dynamics and rhythm... It is either the singing of a man whose vocabulary is inadequate to express what is in his heart and mind or of one whose feelings are too intense for satisfactory verbal or conventionally melodic articulation. He can't tell it to you. He can't even sing it to you. He has to cry out to you, or shout to you, in tones eloquent of despair—or exaltation. The voice alone, with little assistance from
2884-757: The Billboard Hot 100 . His 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200 . Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&;B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, and two on the Hot Country singles charts. Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music
2987-653: The Blüherwiese , next to the Rudolf–Harbig–Stadion , bears the vernacular name Cockerwiese ('Cocker meadow') today. He also performed for US President George H. W. Bush at an inauguration concert in 1989. In 1992, Cocker's version of Bryan Adams ' "Feels Like Forever" made the UK Top 40 . Also in 1992, Cocker teamed with Canadian rocker Sass Jordan to sing "Trust in Me", which was featured on The Bodyguard soundtrack. At
3090-669: The Denver Pop Festival . In August, Denny Cordell heard about the planned concert in Woodstock, New York and convinced organiser Artie Kornfeld to book Cocker and the Grease Band for the Woodstock Festival. The group had to be flown into the festival by helicopter due to the large crowds. They performed several songs, including " Feelin' Alright? ", "Something's Comin' On", " Let's Go Get Stoned ", " I Shall Be Released " and "With
3193-613: The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945. Charles further developed his musical talent at school and was taught to play the classical piano music of Bach , Mozart and Beethoven . His teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, taught him how to use braille music , a difficult process that requires learning the left hand movements by reading braille with the right hand and learning
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3296-755: The Kennedy Center Honors , the National Medal of Arts , and the Polar Music Prize . He was one of the inaugural inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He has won 18 Grammy Awards (five posthumously), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of
3399-613: The Shrine Auditorium on August 3. The other headliners were Little Willie John , Sam Cooke , Ernie Freeman , and Bo Rhambo . Sammy Davis Jr. was also there to crown the winner of the Miss Cavalcade of Jazz beauty contest. The event featured the top four prominent disc jockeys of Los Angeles. Charles reached the pinnacle of his success at Atlantic with the release of "What'd I Say", which combined gospel, jazz, blues and Latin music. Charles said he wrote it spontaneously while he
3502-683: The " 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ", and No. 2 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2022, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame , as well as the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame . Charles was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia . He was the son of Bailey Robinson, a laborer, and Aretha (or Reatha) Robinson (née Williams), a laundress, of Greenville, Florida . During Aretha's childhood, her mother died. Her father could not keep her. Bailey,
3605-609: The "Woodstock in Europe" tour, which featured musicians like Arlo Guthrie and Richie Havens who had played at the 1969 Woodstock Festival. He also performed in New York's Central Park to an audience of 20,000 people. The concert was recorded and released as the live album, Live in New York . In 1982, Cocker recorded two songs with the jazz group the Crusaders on their album Standing Tall . One song, "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today",
3708-615: The 1970s his music was rarely played on radio stations. The rise of psychedelic rock and harder forms of rock and R&B music had reduced Charles' radio appeal, as did his choosing to record pop standards and covers of contemporary rock and soul hits, since his earnings from owning his master tapes had taken away the motivation to write new material. Charles nonetheless continued to have an active recording career. Most of his recordings between 1968 and 1973 evoked strong reactions: either adored or panned by fans and critics alike. His recordings during this period, especially 1972's A Message from
3811-452: The 1993 Brit Awards , Cocker was nominated for British Male Solo Artist. Cocker performed the Saturday opening set at Woodstock '94 as one of the few alumni who played at the original Woodstock Festival in 1969 and was well received. On 3 June 2002, Cocker performed "With A Little Help From My Friends" accompanied by Phil Collins on drums and Queen guitarist Brian May at the Party at
3914-524: The 1–5 A.M. shift at the Rocking Chair. Publicity photos of this trio are some of the earliest known photographs of Charles. In April 1949, he and his band recorded " Confession Blues ", which became his first national hit, soaring to the second spot on the Billboard R&;B chart. While still working at the Rocking Chair, Charles also arranged songs for other artists, including Cole Porter 's "Ghost of
4017-534: The Beautiful" at a televised annual banquet of electronic media journalists held in Washington, D.C. His final public appearance was on April 30, 2004, at the dedication of his music studio as a historic landmark in Los Angeles. Charles possessed one of the most recognizable voices in American music. In the words of musicologist Henry Pleasants : Sinatra, and Bing Crosby before him, had been masters of words. Ray Charles
4120-598: The English bluesman. After that Cocker took part in some concerts of the promotional tours for the albums Blue's (1987) and Oro Incenso & Birra (1989). In 1988, he performed at London's Royal Albert Hall and appeared on The Tonight Show . After Barclay James Harvest and Bob Dylan , Cocker was the first to give rock concerts in the German Democratic Republic , in East Berlin and Dresden . The venue,
4223-470: The Grease Band . The Grease Band was named after Cocker read an interview with jazz keyboardist Jimmy Smith , where Smith positively described another musician as "having a lot of grease". Like the Avengers, Cocker's group mostly played in pubs in and around Sheffield. The Grease Band came to the attention of Denny Cordell , the producer of Procol Harum , the Moody Blues and Georgie Fame . Cocker recorded
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4326-759: The Palace concert in the grounds of Buckingham Palace , an event in commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II . In 2007, Cocker appeared playing minor characters in the film Across the Universe , as the lead singer on another Beatles' hit, " Come Together ", Cocker was awarded an OBE in the Queen's 2007 Birthday Honours list for services to music. To celebrate receiving his award in mid December 2007, Cocker played two concerts in London and in his home town of Sheffield where he
4429-481: The Palace in 2002) and was also known as the theme song for the late 1980s American TV series The Wonder Years . He continued his success with his second album , which included a second Beatles song, " She Came In Through the Bathroom Window ". A hastily thrown together 1970 US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen , which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell . His 1974 recording of " You Are So Beautiful " reached number five in
4532-473: The People , moved toward the progressive soul sound popular at the time. A Message from the People included his unique gospel-influenced version of " America the Beautiful " and a number of protest songs about poverty and civil rights. Charles was often criticized for his version of "America the Beautiful" because it was very drastically changed from the song's original version. On July 14, 1973, Margie Hendrix ,
4635-508: The R&B chart. "I've Got a Woman" combined gospel , jazz , and blues elements. In 1955, he had hits with " This Little Girl of Mine " and " A Fool for You ". In upcoming years, hits included " Drown in My Own Tears " and " Hallelujah I Love Her So ". Charles also recorded jazz, such as The Great Ray Charles (1957). He worked with vibraphonist Milt Jackson , releasing Soul Brothers in 1958 and Soul Meeting in 1961. By 1958, he
4738-470: The Rolling Stones at Sheffield City Hall . In 1964, Cocker signed a recording contract as a solo act with Decca and released his first single, a recording of the Beatles ' " I'll Cry Instead " (with Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page playing guitars). Despite extensive promotion from Decca lauding his youth and working-class roots, the record was a flop and his recording contract with Decca lapsed at
4841-538: The UK with the Who in autumn 1968 and Gene Pitney and Marmalade in early winter 1969, the Grease Band embarked on their first tour of the US in spring 1969. Cocker's album With a Little Help from My Friends was released soon after their arrival and made number 35 on the American charts, eventually going gold. During his US tour, Cocker played at several large festivals, including the Newport Rock Festival and
4944-489: The US, and became his signature song . Cocker's best-selling song was the US number one " Up Where We Belong ", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a 1983 Grammy Award . He released a total of 22 studio albums over a 43-year recording career. In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male Solo Artist. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in 2007, and received an OBE
5047-510: The United States, "When The Night Comes", written by Bryan Adams , Jim Vallance and Diane Warren that peaked at number 11 in January 1990. Throughout the 1980s, Cocker continued to tour around the world, playing to large audiences in Europe, Australia and the United States. In 1986, he met the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari , who dedicated a song ( Nuovo, meraviglioso amico , in Rispetto ) to
5150-729: The United States, he embarked on a European tour where he played to large audiences in Milan and Germany. He then returned to the United States for another tour in autumn 1972. During these tours the group cut the songs that would be part of his newest album, Joe Cocker . A mixture of live songs and studio recordings, the album peaked at number 30 on the US charts. In October 1972, when Cocker toured Australia, he and six members of his entourage were arrested in Adelaide for possession of marijuana . The next day, in Melbourne , assault charges were laid after
5253-542: The air before he was finally able to see through a small part of the windshield and land the plane. Charles placed a spiritual interpretation on the experience, claiming that "something or someone which instruments cannot detect" was responsible for creating the small opening in the ice on the windshield which enabled the pilot to eventually land the plane safely. The 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and its sequel, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2 , helped to bring country music into
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#17328908006455356-496: The album True to Life , remaining with his old label until 1980. However, the label had now begun to focus on rock acts, and some of their prominent soul artists, such as Aretha Franklin , were starting to be neglected. In November 1977 he appeared as the host of the NBC television show Saturday Night Live . In April 1979, his version of "Georgia on My Mind" was proclaimed the state song of Georgia, and an emotional Charles performed
5459-575: The album. Recorded during a break in touring in the spring and summer, the album reached number 11 on the US charts and garnered a second UK hit with the Leon Russell song, "Delta Lady". In August 1969, Cocker performed at the Isle of Wight Festival at Wootton Bridge , Isle of Wight, England. Throughout 1969 he was featured on variety TV shows like The Ed Sullivan Show and This Is Tom Jones . Onstage, he exhibited an idiosyncratic physical intensity, flailing his arms and playing air guitar . At
5562-467: The audience of black and white fans would integrate while he was there. In 1983, Charles signed a contract with Columbia . He recorded a string of country albums and had hit singles in duets with singers such as George Jones , Chet Atkins , B. J. Thomas , Mickey Gilley , Hank Williams Jr. , Dee Dee Bridgewater ("Precious Thing") and his longtime friend Willie Nelson , with whom he recorded " Seven Spanish Angels ". In 1985, Charles participated in
5665-427: The company's founder, Tony Wheeler . Joe Cocker John Robert " Joe " Cocker OBE (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles, such as " Feelin' Alright? " and " Unchain My Heart ", were recordings of songs written by other song writers, though he composed
5768-522: The condition that he stay sober. With a new band, Cocker embarked on a tour of New Zealand, Australia and South America. He then recorded a new album with session work by Steve Gadd and Chuck Rainey , and a new, young bassist from Scotland, Rob Hartley. Hartley also toured briefly with Cocker's friends in 1977. In the autumn of 1978, Cocker toured North America promoting his album, Luxury You Can Afford . Despite this effort, it received mixed reviews, selling around 300,000 copies. In 1979, Cocker joined
5871-469: The dance number " I Don't Need No Doctor " and " Let's Go Get Stoned ", which became his first number-one R&B hit in several years. His cover version of " Crying Time ", originally recorded by country singer Buck Owens , reached No. 6 on the pop chart and helped Charles win a Grammy Award the following March. In 1967, he had a top-twenty hit with another ballad, " Here We Go Again ". Charles' renewed chart success, however, proved to be short lived, and by
5974-423: The end of 1964. After Cocker recorded the single, he dropped his stage name and formed a new group, Joe Cocker's Blues Band. There is only one known recording of Joe Cocker's Blues Band on an EP given out by The Sheffield College during Rag Week and called Rag Goes Mad at the Mojo . In 1966, after a year-long hiatus from music, Cocker teamed up with Chris Stainton , whom he had met several years before, to form
6077-554: The end of the year Cocker was unwilling to embark on another US tour, so he dissolved the Grease Band. Despite Cocker's reluctance to venture out on the road again, an American tour had already been booked so he had to quickly form a new band in order to fulfill his contractual obligations. It proved to be a large group of more than 20 musicians, including pianist and bandleader Leon Russell , three drummers – Jim Gordon , Jim Keltner , and Chuck Blackwell, and backing vocalists Rita Coolidge and Claudia Lennear . Denny Cordell christened
6180-484: The following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone ' s 100 greatest singers list. Cocker was born on 20 May 1944 at 38 Tasker Road, Crookes , Sheffield . He was the youngest son of a civil servant, Harold Norman Cocker (1907–2001), at the time of his son's birth serving as an aircraftman in the Royal Air Force , and Madge (née Lee). According to differing family stories, Cocker received his nickname of Joe either from playing
6283-404: The genres of rhythm and blues and jazz had an influence on a number of highly successful artists, including, as Jon Pareles has noted, Elvis Presley , Aretha Franklin , Stevie Wonder , Van Morrison , and Billy Joel . Other singers who have acknowledged Charles' influence on their own styles include James Booker , Steve Winwood , Richard Manuel , and Gregg Allman . According to Joe Levy,
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#17328908006456386-427: The group's first performance at a youth club, they were required to pay the price of admission before entering. The Cavaliers eventually broke up after a year and Cocker left school to become an apprentice gasfitter working for the East Midlands Gas Board , later British Gas Corporation , while simultaneously pursuing a career in music. Cocker is not related to fellow Sheffield-born musician Jarvis Cocker , despite
6489-411: The high tenor range of A, B flat, B, C and even C sharp and D, sometimes in full voice, sometimes in an ecstatic head voice, sometimes in falsetto. In falsetto he continues up to E and F above high C. On one extraordinary record, 'I'm Going Down to the River'...he hits an incredible B flat...giving him an overall range, including the falsetto extension, of at least three octaves." His style and success in
6592-404: The integration of country music , rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records , notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. Charles' 1960 hit " Georgia on My Mind " was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on
6695-440: The label: a jazz record ( The Genius After Hours , 1961); a blues record ( The Genius Sings the Blues , 1961); and a big band record ( The Genius of Ray Charles , 1959) which was his first Top 40 album, peaking at No. 17. Charles' contract with Atlantic expired in 1959, and several big labels offered him record deals. Choosing not to renegotiate his contract with Atlantic, he signed with ABC-Paramount in November 1959. He obtained
6798-462: The mother of Ray's son Charles Wayne Hendrix, died at 38 years old, which led to Ray having to care for the child. The official cause of her death is unknown. In 1974, Charles left ABC Records and recorded several albums on his own label, Crossover Records. A 1975 recording of Stevie Wonder's hit " Living for the City " later helped Charles win another Grammy. In 1977, he reunited with Ahmet Ertegun and re-signed to Atlantic Records, for which he recorded
6901-470: The musical mainstream. Charles' version of the Don Gibson song " I Can't Stop Loving You " topped the Pop chart for five weeks, stayed at No. 1 on the R&B chart for ten weeks, and gave him his only number-one record in the UK. In 1962, he founded his record label, Tangerine , which ABC-Paramount promoted and distributed. He had major pop hits in 1963 with " Busted " (US No. 4) and " Take These Chains from My Heart " (US No. 8). In 1964, Margie Hendrix
7004-401: The musical recording and video " We Are the World ", a charity single recorded by the supergroup United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa. In 1990 he participated for the first time in the Sanremo Music Festival with song Good Love Gone Bad , written by Toto Cutugno . Before the release of his first album for Warner, Would You Believe , Charles made a return to the R&B charts with
7107-412: The new band "Mad Dogs & Englishmen", after the Noël Coward song of the same name (with its refrain, "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun"). Cocker's music evolved into a more bluesy type of rock, comparable to that of the Rolling Stones . During the ensuing Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour (later described by drummer Jim Keltner as "a big, wild party"), Cocker toured 48 cities, recorded
7210-428: The next 13 years. In 1978, Cocker moved onto a ranch owned by Jane Fonda in Santa Barbara, California . Pam Baker, a local summer camp director and fan of Cocker's music, had persuaded the actress to lend the house to Cocker. Baker began dating Cocker, and they married on 11 October 1987. While performing a concert at Madison Square Garden on 17 September 2014, fellow pop musician Billy Joel stated that Cocker
7313-458: The next year, he had hits with " It Should've Been Me " and "Don't You Know". He also recorded the songs "Midnight Hour" and "Sinner's Prayer" around this time. Late in 1954, Charles recorded " I've Got a Woman ". The lyrics were written by bandleader Renald Richard. Charles claimed the composition. They later admitted that the song went back to the Southern Tones ' "It Must Be Jesus" (1954). It became one of his most notable hits, reaching No. 2 on
7416-519: The nickname "the Mad Dog". Shortly after the Australian tour, Stainton retired from his music career to establish his own recording studio. After his friend's departure and his estrangement from his longtime producer Denny Cordell, Cocker sank into depression and began using heroin. In June 1973, he kicked the habit but continued to drink heavily. At the end of 1973, Cocker returned to the studio to record
7519-564: The piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla for over a year, earning $ 4 a night (US$ 46, in 2023 value ). He joined Local 632 of the American Federation of Musicians , in the hope that it would help him get work, and was able to use the union hall's piano to practice, since he did not have one at home; he learned piano licks from copying the other players there. He started to build
7622-489: The right hand movements by reading braille with the left hand, then combining the two parts. Charles' mother died in the spring of 1945, when he was 14. Her death came as a shock to him; he later said the deaths of his brother and mother were "the two great tragedies" of his life. Charles decided not to return to school after the funeral. After leaving school, Charles moved to Jacksonville to live with Charles Wayne Powell, who had been friends with his late mother. He played
7725-433: The singer following his death, while Cocker's agent, Barrie Marshall, said that Cocker was "without doubt the greatest rock/soul singer ever to come out of Britain". McCartney commented: "He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and, like many people, I loved his singing. I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With a Little Help from My Friends' and I remember him and (producer) Denny Cordell coming round to
7828-597: The single "High Time We Went". This became a hit, reaching number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, but was not issued on an album until November 1972 on the Joe Cocker album. In early 1972, after nearly two years away from music, Cocker went on tour with a group that Chris Stainton had formed. He opened with a performance in Madison Square Garden which was attended by about 20,000 people. After touring
7931-518: The single "Marjorine" without the Grease Band for Cordell in a London studio. He then moved to London with Chris Stainton, and the Grease Band was dissolved. Cordell set Cocker up with a residency at the Marquee Club in London, and a "new" Grease Band was formed with Stainton and keyboardist Tommy Eyre . In 1968, Cocker found commercial success with a rearrangement of " With a Little Help from My Friends ", another Beatles song, which, many years later,
8034-696: The song on the floor of the state legislature. In 1980 Charles performed in the musical film The Blues Brothers . Although he had notably supported the American Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, Charles was criticized for performing at the Sun City resort in South Africa in 1981 during an international boycott protesting that country's apartheid policy. He later defended his choice of performing there, insisting that
8137-496: The song was Charles' first work with Sid Feller , who produced, arranged and conducted the recording. Charles' rendition of the tune helped elevate it to the status of an American classic, and his version also became the state song of Georgia in 1979. Charles earned another Grammy for the follow-up track " Hit the Road Jack ", written by R&B singer Percy Mayfield . By late 1961, Charles had expanded his small road ensemble to
8240-425: The soundtrack of the film An Officer and a Gentleman . The song was an international hit, reaching number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 , and winning a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo . The duet also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song , and Cocker and Warnes performed the song at the awards ceremony. Several days later, he was invited to perform " You Are So Beautiful " with Ray Charles in
8343-664: The studio in Savile Row (central London) and playing me what they'd recorded and it was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful to him for doing that." On 11 September 2015, a "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" tribute concert to Joe Cocker was performed at the Lockn' Festival featuring Tedeschi Trucks Band , Chris Stainton , Leon Russell , Rita Coolidge , Claudia Lennear , Pamela Polland , Doyle Bramhall II , Dave Mason , John Bell , Warren Haynes and Chris Robinson , among others. In commemoration,
8446-437: The text or the notated music, conveys the message. Pleasants continues, "Ray Charles is usually described as a baritone, and his speaking voice would suggest as much, as would the difficulty he experiences in reaching and sustaining the baritone's high E and F in a popular ballad. But the voice undergoes some sort of transfiguration under stress, and in music of gospel or blues character he can and does sing for measures on end in
8549-474: Was "not very well right now" and endorsed Cocker for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame before his tribute performance of "With a Little Help from My Friends". Cocker died from lung cancer on 22 December 2014 in Crawford, Colorado at the age of 70. He had smoked two packs of cigarettes a day until he quit in 1991. Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004)
8652-532: Was a combination of Vince Everett, Elvis Presley 's character in Jailhouse Rock (which Cocker misheard as Vance), and country singer Eddy Arnold . The group mostly played in the pubs of Sheffield, performing Chuck Berry and Ray Charles songs. Cocker developed an interest in blues music and sought out recordings by John Lee Hooker , Muddy Waters , Lightnin' Hopkins and Howlin' Wolf . In 1963, they booked their first significant gig when they supported
8755-586: Was also Cocker's backing band on a tour promoting Stingray in 1976. Cocker kept recording and touring throughout his later years. 2012's Fire it up , which would turn out to be Cocker's last studio album, was followed by an extensive tour, consisting of a US leg in 2012 and a European run in 2013. He played 25 shows in Germany alone on the European leg of the tour, which reflects the popularity Cocker enjoyed there. The full show of 22 April at Cologne 's Lanxess Arena
8858-422: Was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown . He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones . Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business", although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley ." For his musical contributions, Charles received
8961-546: Was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, he preferred being called "Brother Ray". Charles was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma . Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining elements of blues , jazz , rhythm and blues , and gospel into his music during his time with Atlantic Records . He contributed to
9064-433: Was arrested by Austrian police after refusing to perform because of inadequate sound equipment. The charges were eventually dropped and Cocker was released. Shortly after the incident, he released his ninth studio album, Civilized Man . His next album Cocker was dedicated to his mother, Madge, who died when he was recording in the studio with producer Terry Manning . A track from the album, " You Can Leave Your Hat On "
9167-512: Was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque outside Sheffield Town Hall . In April and May 2009, Cocker conducted a North American tour in support of his album Hymn for My Soul . He sang the vocals on " Little Wing " for the Carlos Santana album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time , released on 21 September 2010. In the autumn of 2010, Cocker toured Europe promoting his studio album Hard Knocks . In 2000, Cocker
9270-415: Was eventually dropped, as the search lacked a proper warrant by the police, and Charles soon returned to music. In the early 1960s, on the way from Louisiana to Oklahoma City , Charles faced a near-death experience when the pilot of his plane lost visibility, as snow and his failure to use the defroster caused the windshield of the plane to become completely covered in ice. The pilot made a few circles in
9373-463: Was featured in the 1986 film 9½ Weeks . The album eventually went Platinum on the European charts. His song "Love Lives On" was featured in the 1987 film Harry and the Hendersons . His 1987 album Unchain My Heart was nominated for a Grammy Award, although it did not win. One Night of Sin was also a commercial success, surpassing Unchain My Heart in sales and yielding his final Top 20 hit in
9476-405: Was four years old. Charles started to lose his sight at the age of four or five, and was blind by the age of seven, likely as a result of glaucoma . Destitute, uneducated, and mourning the loss of her younger son, Aretha Robinson used her connections in the local community to find a school that would accept a blind African-American pupil. Despite his initial protest, Charles attended school at
9579-560: Was keen to have his own band. He decided to leave Florida for a large city, and, considering Chicago and New York City too big, followed his friend Gossie McKee to Seattle , Washington, in March 1948, knowing that the biggest radio hits came from northern cities. There he met and befriended, under the tutelage of Robert Blackwell , the 15-year-old Quincy Jones . With Charles on piano, McKee on guitar, and Milton Garred on bass, The McSon Trio (named for Mc Kee and Robin son ) started playing
9682-507: Was kicked out of the Raelettes after a big argument. In 1964, Charles' career was halted once more after he was arrested for a third time for possession of heroin. He agreed to go to a rehabilitative facility to avoid jail time and eventually kicked his habit at a clinic in Los Angeles. After spending a year on parole, Charles reappeared in the charts in 1966 with a series of hits composed with Ashford & Simpson and Jo Armstead , including
9785-487: Was nominated for a Grammy Award and Cocker performed it with the Crusaders at the awards ceremony. The Crusaders wrote this song with Cocker in mind to sing it. Cocker then released a new reggae-influenced album, Sheffield Steel , recorded with the Compass Point All Stars , produced by Chris Blackwell and Alex Sadkin . Also in 1982, Cocker recorded the duet " Up Where We Belong " with Jennifer Warnes for
9888-635: Was not only headlining major black venues such as the Apollo Theater in New York, but also larger venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival , where his first live album was recorded in 1958. He hired a female singing group, the Cookies , and renamed them the Raelettes . In 1958, Charles and the Raelettes performed for the famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. held at
9991-521: Was performing in clubs with his band. Despite some radio stations banning the song because of its sexually suggestive lyrics, the song became Charles' first top-ten pop record. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Pop chart and No. 1 on the Billboard R&;B chart in 1959. Later that year, he released his first country song (a cover of Hank Snow 's " I'm Movin' On ") and recorded three more albums for
10094-528: Was recorded and a version of the song was released on the live album Mad Dogs and Englishmen . A different recording of the song was released as the B-side of Cocker's hit single, " The Letter ". Later in the 1970s, Moore played in David Cassidy 's band, and collaborated again with Russell. One of the lines of "Space Captain" was the inspiration for the name Lonely Planet , a mishearing of "lovely planet" by
10197-675: Was recorded and released on CD and DVD under the title Fire it up Live later in 2013. The last concert on the tour, which was to be Cocker's final live performance, was at the Loreley Open Air Theatre in Sankt Goarshausen on 7 September 2013. In 1994, fellow Yorkshire musician Philip Oakey , on behalf of his group, the Human League , said that Cocker was their "hero". The two remaining living ex-Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr , were among those who paid tribute to
10300-483: Was required to stay in the segregated but thriving black community of Overtown . Stone later helped Jerry Wexler find Charles in St. Petersburg . After signing with Swing Time Records , Charles recorded two more R&B hits under the name Ray Charles: "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" (1951), which reached No. 5, and "Kissa Me Baby" (1952), which reached No. 8. Swing Time folded the following year, and Ahmet Ertegun signed Charles to Atlantic . In addition to being
10403-526: Was sparked at Wylie Pitman's Red Wing Cafe, at the age of three, when Pitman played boogie woogie on an old upright piano ; Pitman subsequently taught Charles how to play the piano. Charles and his mother were always welcome at the Red Wing Cafe and even lived there when they were in financial distress. Pitman also cared for Ray's younger brother George, to take some of the burden off their mother. George accidentally drowned in his mother's laundry tub when he
10506-665: Was the opening act in select cities in the United States and Europe for Tina Turner 's Twenty Four Seven Tour . He returned to Australia in 2008 and again in 2011, the latter of which featured George Thorogood and the Destroyers as an opening act. On 20 March 2011, Cocker took part in a benefit concert for Cornell Dupree at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York City. Dupree played on four Cocker albums: I Can Stand A Little Rain (1974), Jamaica Say You Will (1975), Stingray (1976) and Luxury You Can Afford (1978). Dupree's band Stuff
10609-608: Was used as the opening theme for The Wonder Years . The recording features lead guitar from Jimmy Page , drumming by B. J. Wilson , backing vocals from Sue and Sunny , and Tommy Eyre on organ. The single remained in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart for thirteen weeks before eventually reaching number one, on 9 November 1968. It also reached number 68 on the US charts. The new touring line-up of Cocker's Grease Band featured Henry McCullough on lead guitar, who would go on to briefly play with McCartney's Wings . After touring
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