| British soul singer Joe Cocker parlayed Ray Charles-type vocals and an eccentric stage presence into a string of late-‘60s hits, suffered in the mid-’70s, and went from tragic figure to well-respected interpreter in the ’80s and ’90s. His gritty, powerful voice remains one of the most distinctive in rock & roll today. After leaving school early to become an apprentice gas fitter in Sheffield, England, Cocker joined his first group in 1959, the Cavaliers, playing drums and harmonica. When he moved to lead vocals in 1961 the band changed its name… |
