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61-551: Early on, the band experienced problems holding on to a second guitarist, but Alan Hebditch, a childhood friend of Cataldo's, became a regular fixture in early 1978. Along with the Real Kids and DMZ , they were considered among the scene's "punkier" bands. Centered on Cataldo's "great rock & roll voice" and "jangly guitar", in the description of AllMusic 's Joe Viglione , they were the " Rolling Stones of Boston...hard-rocking, riff-blasting, tongue-in-cheek". By 1978, they were one of

122-554: A compilation album of Cochran's hits. On the night of April 16, 1960, Cochran and his friend and fellow performing artist, Gene Vincent , had just finished performing at the last of their scheduled concerts at the Bristol Hippodrome . They were traveling along the Bath Road in a taxi (a cream-coloured 1960 model Ford Consul Mark II saloon) from Bristol towards London to Heathrow Airport . In addition to Cochran and Vincent,

183-424: A demo with Jerry Capehart , his future manager . In July 1956, Eddie Cochran's first "solo artist" single was released by Crest Records . It featured "Skinny Jim", now regarded as a rock-and-roll and rockabilly classic. In the spring of 1956, Boris Petroff asked Cochran if he would appear in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help It (1956). Cochran agreed and performed the song " Twenty Flight Rock " in

244-623: A few more hits, such as " C'mon, Everybody ", " Somethin' Else ", " Teenage Heaven ", and " Three Steps to Heaven ", which posthumously topped the charts in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom in 1960. He remained popular in the United States and United Kingdom through the late 1950s and early 1960s, and more of his records were posthumous hits, such as "My Way", " Weekend ", and "Nervous Breakdown". Throughout his music career, Cochran made

305-576: A few songs for him, including Cochran's "Twenty Flight Rock". Lennon was so impressed that he invited McCartney to play in his band, the Quarrymen . From a young age, Jimi Hendrix was influenced by Cochran. Hendrix performed " Summertime Blues " early in his career, with his band the Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. In his own words, Hendrix requested a few of Cochran's songs to be played at his funeral. "I tell you, when I die I'm going to have

366-989: A few television appearances. On October 22, 1957 in Portland , Oregon , Cochran appeared on KPTV 's High Time , hosted by Gene Brendler, and sang "Am I Blue?". During late 1957, Cochran was on the Biggest Show of Stars for '57 tour with Buddy Holly and The Crickets , Fats Domino , Chuck Berry , The Everly Brothers , Buddy Knox , Frankie Lymon , and Paul Anka , among others. In November 1958, Cochran performed on American Bandstand , and The Dick Clark Show ( Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beech-Nut ), in which he played his hit song "C'mon Everybody". On February 7, 1959, Cochran performed live on Town Hall Party with Dick D'Agostin and The Swingers. He played "C'mon, Everybody", "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You", "Don't Blame It On Me", "Summertime Blues", "School Days", Gene Autry 's " Be Honest With Me ", and "Money Honey". There

427-426: A future together. In 1988, Levi Strauss & Co. promoted their Levi's 501 range with a television commercial called Eddie Cochran , directed by Syd Macartney. It told the story of how Sheeley (played by actress Sharon Devlin) attracted Cochran at the 1958 party by wearing said product. It was supposedly narrated by Sheeley. The background song, "C'mon Everybody", was released as a promotional single, followed by

488-461: A jam session. I want people to go wild and freak out. And knowing me, I'll probably get busted at my own funeral. The music will be played loud and it will be our music. I won't have any Beatles songs, but I'll have a few of Eddie Cochran's things and a whole lot of blues." Pete Townshend of the Who was heavily influenced by Cochran's guitar style ("Summertime Blues" was a staple of live performances by

549-502: A live album Playin' with Elvis , on ECR. In 2016, Manning told PopWrapped , "I love rock and roll … the early stuff like Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly, not to mention Elvis, was very important to me." The English band Humble Pie did a rendition of Cochran's " C'mon, Everybody " and the song featured on their album Smokin' (1972). The glam rock artist Marc Bolan had his main Gibson Les Paul guitar refinished in

610-410: A local critics' choice; after this major-label record brought them a national hearing, it's hard to understand why. Nervous Eaters is an awfully tame set of J. Geils –like R&B and Hall and Oates –style soul." Belying the "R-rated and lovingly sexist" lyrics of "Loretta" and other album tracks such as "Get Stuffed" and "Girl Next Door", Viglione writes that the album's sound falls "somewhere between

671-517: A long time, but nobody actually recognized it. The way I look at it, rhythm and blues y'know, and blues has been around for so long, and then they kind of blended country and western music in with it y'know. I think it's going to be here for a long time, but changing. Another aspect of Cochran's short but brilliant career is his work as a session musician and producer. In 1959, Cochran played lead for Skeets McDonald at Columbia's studios for "You Oughta See Grandma Rock" and "Heart Breaking Mama". In

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732-534: A member of the Beat Boys and the backing band for Vincent, recollected, "I remember Eddie playing guitar and we were astounded." During the progression of the tour, Cochran's fiancé Sharon Sheeley had flown in from America and joined them in late March. From a distance, Sheeley had kept track of Cochran's performances in England , when he had sent her postcards and letters. Using a map, she tried to pinpoint exactly where he

793-674: A neighbor and friend of Jonathan Richman , a fellow fan of the Velvet Underground . At 15 he joined Richman in the first line-up of the Modern Lovers in the early 1970s. He performed with the band intermittently from then until 1973, but because of his school commitments, he was not involved in the 1972 sessions which produced the first Modern Lovers album, though Felice is featured on a few live Modern Lovers recordings, on lead guitar and backing vocals. Commenting on Richman, Felice said, "Me and Jonathan, as close as we were, you know, I

854-640: A new CD. Shake Outta Control , released on Ace of Hearts Records. This contained new recordings of some old classics like "Who Needs You" and "Common At Noon", along with a few new songs. The new album received rave reviews worldwide. It was also released on vinyl by The Ugly Pop Record label. Billy Borgioli died on June 27, 2015. The five vinyl albums on the Norton label are the first self-titled album The Real Kids , Grown Up Wrong , Senseless , No Place Fast , and Better Be Good . Norton also issued vintage Real Kids recordings on 7" 45 RPM vinyl, and new recordings, and

915-506: A professional musician. During a show featuring many performers at an American Legion hall, Cochran met Hank Cochran , a songwriter. Although they were not related, they recorded as the Cochran Brothers and began performing together. They recorded a few singles for Ekko Records that were fairly successful and helped to establish them as a performing act. Eddie Cochran also worked as a session musician and began writing songs, making

976-725: A recording contract with Liberty Records and his first record for the label, " Sittin' in the Balcony ", rose to number 18 on the Billboard charts . Cochran died at the age of 21 in St Martin's Hospital, Bath, Somerset , after a car accident in Chippenham , Wiltshire , at the end of his British tour with Gene Vincent in April 1960. On April 16, after they had just performed at the Bristol Hippodrome , on their way to their next venue, Vincent, Cochran and

1037-533: A reference to Dick D'Agostin 's band. The line-up of Cochran's touring band would change over time, with saxophonist Jim Seals and bassist Connie 'Guybo' Smith , and the addition of pianist Jim Stivers . They were eventually joined by various members from Dick D'Agostin and The Swingers. In 1959, The Swingers line-up became muti-instrumentalist with pianist Dick D'Agostin, pianist Jim Stivers (briefly on bass), guitarist Larry D'Agostin , saxophonist Paul Kaufman , and drummer Gene Riggio. However, D'Agostin left and

1098-521: A session for Gene Vincent in March 1958, he contributed his trademark bass voice, as heard on "Summertime Blues". The recordings were issued on the album A Gene Vincent Record Date . Cochran worked mainly as a guitarist, and sometimes as a vocalist and arranger for other artists, such as Mamie Van Doren , Baker Knight , Johnny Burnette , Wynn Stewart , and Al Casey . In early 1959, two of Cochran's friends, Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens , along with

1159-454: Is also a memorial stone on the grounds of St Martin's Hospital in Bath, commemorating Cochran's death. The stone was restored in 2010 on the 50th anniversary of his death and can be found in the old chapel grounds at the hospital. A memorial plaque was also placed next to the sundial at the back of the old chapel. The Eddie Cochran Memorial Project spearheaded a fundraising campaign in 2018 to restore

1220-626: Is expected to follow in 2022. They will be on the road doing gigs in support of those LPs/ CDs through 2021–2022. Steve Berkowitz is executive producer of the project. The band now consists of drummer David Mclean, Adam Sherman on guitar and vocals, Carissa Johnson on bass and vocals, and songwriter Steve Cataldo on lead guitar and lead vocals. The Real Kids The Real Kids are an American rock band from Boston , Massachusetts , United States, led by guitarist, singer and songwriter John Felice. Felice (born 1955) grew up in Natick, Massachusetts , as

1281-724: The Gretsch 6120 guitar, with a Wild West "G" branded into the body’s bass bout. In 2010, Gretch and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation announced the G6120 Eddie Cochran Signature Hollow Body model , based on Cochran's original modified Gretsch. A range of artists have covered Cochran's songs, such as Joan Jett and the Blackhearts , The Who , the Rolling Stones , Bruce Springsteen , UFO , Van Halen , Tom Petty , Rod Stewart , T. Rex , Cliff Richard ,

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1342-570: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . His songs have been recorded by a wide variety of recording artists. Paul McCartney himself chose Cochran's " Twenty Flight Rock " as his audition piece, assured to impress John Lennon by his performance of it, which he did and was hired as a member of Lennon's skiffle group The Quarrymen , which later was renamed The Beatles . Cochran was born on October 3, 1938, in Albert Lea, Minnesota , to Alice and Frank R. Cochran. He

1403-471: The 100 greatest guitarists of all time. The Very Best of Eddie Cochran was released by EMI Records on June 2, 2008. On September 27, 2010, the mayor of Bell Gardens, California , declared October 3, 2010, to be "Eddie Cochran Day" to celebrate the famous musician who began his career when living in that city. On June 10, 2022, Cochran's hometown of Albert Lea, Minnesota renamed James Street to Eddie Cochran Street in his honor. On May 23, 2023, Cochran

1464-539: The 1959 hit song "Somethin' Else" with Eddie's brother Bill Cochran. Sheeley had been romantically interested in Cochran for two years, seemingly unrequited. Originally brunette, she dyed her hair blonde and spent money on a new wardrobe, in an attempt to impress Cochran. In 1958, after attending a New Year's Eve party hosted by Cochran in New York , the couple started dating. They were secretly engaged by 1960, and were planning

1525-620: The Ace of Hearts label, later re-released on Norton Records . Miriam Linna, co-founder of the Norton label, worked at Red Star during the recording of the first album as their press agent, and went on to acquire the Red Star masters. The Real Kids reunited on several other occasions. They performed regularly in 1998–99, including a New York City new year's gig. Bass player Allen "Alpo" Paulino died on February 6, 2006. The Real Kids reformed in 2014 and released

1586-737: The Beach Boys , Led Zeppelin , the White Stripes , the Sex Pistols , Sid Vicious , Rush , Simple Minds , George Thorogood , Guitar Wolf , Alan Jackson , the Move , David Bowie , Johnny Hallyday and U2 . It was because Paul McCartney knew the chords and words to " Twenty Flight Rock " that he became a member of the Beatles . On July 6, 1957, McCartney met John Lennon at the St. Peter's Church and performed

1647-474: The Big Bopper , were killed in a plane crash while on tour on February 3, 1959. Cochran's friends and family later said that he was badly shaken by their deaths, and he developed a morbid premonition that he also would die young. Shortly after their deaths, Cochran recorded a song (written by disc jockey Tommy Dee) in tribute to them, " Three Stars ". He was anxious to give up life on the road and spend his time in

1708-508: The British Invasion groups at their mod finest, yet pointed the way towards the Punk to come". In addition to Felice's own songs, they performed versions of classics by Eddie Cochran , Buddy Holly and others. The band did not record until 1977, when it comprised Felice, Billy Borgioli (guitar), Allen "Alpo" Paulino (bass), and Howie Ferguson (drums). Their first studio album, The Real Kids ,

1769-542: The Real Kids released a second EP , Outta Place . They also toured Europe and released a live album All Kindsa Jerks . They recorded a European release only new album, Hit You Hard , released on French label New Rose in 1983. Band members Allen "Alpo" Paulino and Billy Borgioli then left to form the Primitive Souls. In 1988, Felice formed a new band, John Felice and The Lowdowns, releasing an album Nothing Pretty on

1830-710: The Ronettes and the Four Seasons ". Nonetheless, in his view, "The disc works despite being a slight misrepresentation of the artist." It met with little commercial success, and the Nervous Eaters disbanded in 1981. The band briefly reunited in 1986, with Cataldo, Wilkinson, Hebditch, and Paley. They recorded a six-song EP, Hot Steel and Acid , for the French-based New Rose label; it was subsequently issued as well by Boston's Ace of Hearts Records . In early June 2013,

1891-531: The Who for most of their career, until the death of bassist and vocalist John Entwistle in 2002, and is featured on their album Live at Leeds ). San Francisco Sound band Blue Cheer 's version of "Summertime Blues" was their only hit and signature song, and has been described as the first heavy metal song. Producer Terry Manning recorded a live version of " Somethin' Else " in concert, held inside Elvis Presley 's first house in Memphis . In 2019, he released

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1952-504: The airport, "You know, Shari, I've got a queer feeling that Fate’s not going to let us [be together]. Something awful is going to happen— I can feel it." Martin was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50 (and in default of payment six months' imprisonment), and disqualified from driving for 15 years. His driving disqualification was lifted on May 7, 1968, after the judge at Bristol Assizes determined that Martin "had suffered considerable financial hardship". The car and other items from

2013-413: The albums are available on CD and on download. Eddie Cochran Ray Edward Cochran ( / ˈ k ɒ k r ən / KOK -rən ; October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960), known professionally as Eddie Cochran , was an American rock and roll musician. His songs, such as " Twenty Flight Rock ", " Summertime Blues ", " C'mon Everybody " and " Somethin' Else ", captured teenage frustration and desire in

2074-516: The band went on the road again, supporting the Stranglers at Brighton Music Hall , though at least one member has moved to California. In 2018, the Nervous Eaters and their old manager James Harold put out Live at the Rat 2 on DVD, and Rick Hearte, owner of Ace of Hearts, issued a CD re-release of Hot Steel and Acid with more songs added. 2021 The Nervous Eaters signed with WICKED COOL RECORDS. A new LP/CD

2135-457: The base of the skull. Martin did not sustain significant injuries. Vincent and Sheeley returned to the United States after the accident. Cochran's body was flown home, and after a funeral service was buried on April 25, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress, California . In August 1960, Sheeley told Photoplay magazine , that Cochran said to her on his last day, just before entering the taxi to

2196-509: The bill, they were accompanied by British acts Billy Fury , Joe Brown , Vince Eager , and Tony Sheridan . At the beginning of the tour, Cochran first performed a memorable show in Ipswich , Suffolk at the cinema venue Ipswich Gaumont . Cochran was backed by Marty Wilde 's band The Wildcats throughout the 1960 tour, exposing the British audience to live American rock 'n' roll. Georgie Fame , then

2257-402: The collision caused the left rear passenger door to open, and Cochran was ejected from the vehicle, sustaining a massive traumatic brain injury from blunt force trauma to the skull or a cerebral contusion . The road was dry, and the weather was good, but the vehicle was later determined to be travelling at an excessive speed. No other vehicle was involved in the incident. The occupants of

2318-405: The crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner's inquest could be held. David Harman, a police cadet at the station, who would later become known as Dave Dee of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich , is said to have played on Cochran's Gretsch 6120 guitar while it was held at the station. There is a plaque marking the site of the car crash on Rowden Hill. There

2379-408: The initial form of the song; the co-writing credit reflects Cochran's major changes and contributions to the final product. In the summer of 1957, Liberty Records issued Cochran's only studio album released during his lifetime, Singin' to My Baby . The album included John D. Loudermilk's "Sittin' in the Balcony". For the album, Cochran worked with manager and songwriter Jerry Capehart , and wrote

2440-443: The mid-1950s and early 1960s. Cochran experimented with multitrack recording , distortion techniques, and overdubbing , even on his earliest singles. Cochran played the guitar, piano, bass, and drums. His image as a sharply dressed and attractive young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the 1950s rocker, and in death, Cochran achieved iconic status. Cochran was involved with music from an early age, playing in

2501-569: The most popular acts in the city. Their second Rat single, the punk rock styled, "Just Head", appeared in 1979. After the release of "Just Head", the band brought on a new second guitarist, Jonathan Paley. Ric Ocasek of scenemates the Cars produced a ten-song demo for the band that attracted major-label attention. Their self-titled debut album, produced by Harry Maslin, was released by Elektra Records in 1980. Trouser Press ' s Ira Robbins retrospectively panned it: "This Boston quartet had long been

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2562-424: The movie. In 1957, Cochran starred in his second film, Untamed Youth (1957), and had yet another hit, " Sittin' in the Balcony ", one of the few songs he recorded that was written by other songwriters (in this case John D. Loudermilk ). "Twenty Flight Rock" was written by AMI staff writer Ned Fairchild (a pen name—her real name is Nelda Fairchild). Fairchild, who was not a rock and roll performer, merely provided

2623-439: The other passengers in the vehicle were Sharon Sheeley , Patrick Tompkins (the tour manager, 29 years old), and George Martin (the 19-year-old taxi driver). At about 11:50 p.m. that night, Martin lost control of the vehicle, which crashed into a concrete lamppost at Rowden Hill in Chippenham . At the moment of impact, Cochran (who was seated in the center of the back seat) threw himself over Sheeley to shield her. The force of

2684-577: The plaque and install a brand new "Three Steps to Heaven" base at the Chippenham crash site. While they were preparing to board their taxi, Vincent and Cochran rebuffed musician Tony Sheridan 's request to ride along with them, resulting in Sheridan's avoiding involvement in the accident. A posthumous album, My Way , was released in 1964. Cochran was a prolific performer, and the British label Rockstar Records has released more of his music posthumously than

2745-439: The school band and teaching himself to play blues guitar. In 1955, Cochran formed a duo with the guitarist Hank Cochran (no relation) and became known as the Cochran Brothers. When they split the following year, Eddie began a song-writing career with Jerry Capehart . His first success came when he performed the song " Twenty Flight Rock " in the film The Girl Can't Help It , starring Jayne Mansfield . Soon afterward, he signed

2806-672: The songs "Completely Sweet", "Undying Love", "When I'm Mad", and Cochran original "One Kiss". In 1958, Cochran seemed to find his stride in the famous teenage anthem " Summertime Blues " (co-written with Jerry Capehart). With this song, Cochran was established as one of the most important influences on rock and roll in the 1950s, both lyrically and musically. The song, released by Liberty recording no. 55144, charted at number 8 in 1958. Originally, Cochran toured with The Kelly Four as his backing band, guitarist Mike Deasy , saxophonist Mike Henderson, bassist Dave Shriver , and drummer Gene Riggio . They were known as The Hollywood Swingers,

2867-415: The songwriter Sharon Sheeley were involved in a high-speed traffic accident in a private-hire taxi. The other two passengers survived with major injuries, but Cochran, who had been thrown from the vehicle, suffered serious brain injuries and died the next day. Though Cochran's best-known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into

2928-527: The spoken lyrics about Valens and Holly. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . His pioneering contribution to the genre of rockabilly has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame . Several of his songs have been re-released since his death, such as "C'mon Everybody", which was a number 14 hit in 1988 in the UK. Rolling Stone magazine ranked him number 84 on its 2003 list of

2989-464: The studio making music, thereby reducing the chance of suffering a similar fatal accident while touring. Financial responsibilities, however, required that Cochran continue to perform live, and that led to his acceptance of an offer to tour the United Kingdom in 1960. Organized and promoted by Larry Parnes , Cochran and Gene Vincent toured the United Kingdom from January through to April 1960. On

3050-461: The vehicle were all taken to Chippenham Community Hospital and later transferred to St. Martin's Hospital in Bath . Cochran never regained consciousness and died, aged 21, at 4:10 p.m. the following day – Easter Sunday. Sheeley suffered injuries to her back and thigh, Vincent suffered a fractured collarbone and severe injuries to his legs, and Tompkins sustained facial injuries and a possible fracture of

3111-458: Was a brief interview segment on the show, and Cochran was asked about his prediction for the future of rock 'n' roll music. On October 10, 1959, he appeared on The Dick Clark Show ( Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beech-Nut ), and performed "Somethin' Else" and "Sittin' in the Balcony". I think actually rock 'n' roll will be here for quite sometime. But I don't think it's going be rock 'n' roll as we know it today...I think it has been around for

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3172-442: Was announced that Kristy Bell's documentary was in the works, titled Don't Forget Me. Another documentary film titled The Bell Gardens Rocker was also in production. Cochran's life is chronicled in several publications, including Don't Forget Me: The Eddie Cochran Story , by Julie Mundy and Darrel Higham ( ISBN   0-8230-7931-7 ), and Three Steps to Heaven , by Bobby Cochran ( ISBN   0-634-03252-6 ). Cochran

3233-466: Was called-up to enlist into the U.S. Army. Members from The Kelly Four returned, Deasy and Henderson, with Stivers and Riggio being accompanied by bassist Don Meyer (later replaced by Dave Shriver). This was the last line-up of Cochran's touring band, returning to the name of The Kelly Four. Cochran starred in his last film Go, Johnny, Go! (1959). In January 1960, Cochran recorded his last session at Gold Star Studios . His brief music career included

3294-448: Was each day on the tour. However, their tour ended abruptly. Not quite as long as Gene [Vincent]. I'll be here until April 17th, and then I go home for seven days, and then I'm back near the end of April and stay here for ten more weeks. Cochran dated singer-songwriter Sharon Sheeley . As a songwriter, Sheeley worked in the music business and for manager Jerry Capehart. She wrote " Love Again " and "Cherished Memories" for Cochran, and

3355-596: Was honored with a blue plaque in Bristol , South West England , at the Bristol Hippodrome venue, the last place Cochran performed on his ill-fated tour in 1960. In 1963, pop star Heinz Burt and producer Joe Meek paid tribute to Cochran with the song " Just Like Eddie " which became a top five chart hit. In 1986, there was a planned biopic film titled Summertime Blues: The Eddie Cochran Story , produced by Cassian Elwes and starring Rob Lowe as Cochran. D'Agostin

3416-545: Was involved in the pre-production stage, but the film was never made. Played by actor Jerry Zaremba, Cochran appeared in the 1978 biopic film The Buddy Holly Story , directed by Steve Rash . Cochran was played by Brian Setzer of Stray Cats in the 1987 Ritchie Valens biopic La Bamba . There have been two documentary films made on Eddie Cochran's life by the BBC, Three Steps to Heaven (aired on November 30, 1982 BBC Arena ), and Cherished Memories (2001 BBC). In 2022, It

3477-556: Was issued on the Red Star label in 1977; it was later reissued by Norton Records who acquired the masters to the Red Star recordings and subsequently issued four more albums of early material. While continuing to play occasionally with different line-ups of the Real Kids, Felice also worked for a time as a roadie for the Ramones . He also performed as part of the Taxi Boys in Boston. In 1982,

3538-573: Was like a punk, I was a wise-ass kid. I liked to do a lot of drugs, I liked to drink, and Jonathan was like this wide-eyed, no-drugs, ate nothing but health food..." Felice then decided to start his own band and formed the Real Kids (originally named the Kids) in 1972, with Rick Coraccio (bass), Steve Davidson (guitar), and Norman Bloom (drums). They became a successful live band in the Boston area, playing "an aggressive brand of straight-ahead, no-bullshit rock which harkened back to Chuck Berry, had overtones of

3599-524: Was of Scottish descent. Cochran's parents were from Oklahoma. Cochran took music lessons in school but quit the band to play drums. Additionally, rather than taking piano lessons, he began learning guitar, playing country and other music he heard on the radio. In 1952, Cochran's family moved to Bell Gardens, California . As his guitar playing improved, Cochran formed a band with two friends from his junior high school. In January 1955, Cochran dropped out of Bell Gardens High School in his first year to become

3660-408: Was one of the first rock-and-roll artists to write his own songs and overdub tracks. He is also credited with being one of the first to use an unwound third string to "bend" notes up a whole tone—an innovation (imparted to UK guitarist Joe Brown, who secured much session work as a result) that has since become an essential part of the standard rock guitar vocabulary. Cochran was well known for playing

3721-494: Was released during his life. The company is still looking for unpublished songs. One of his posthumous releases was " Three Stars ", a tribute to J.P. Richardson, better known as the Big Bopper , and Cochran's friends Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens , who had all died in a plane crash just one year earlier. Written just hours after the tragedy by disc jockey Tommy Dee, it was recorded by Cochran two days later (Dee recorded his own version several weeks later). His voice broke during

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