Joe Cocker: A cry for pop history – Times Online

Joe Cocker’s career began in Woodstock, she led him to the front door German television audience. He was the belly and the trembling hand of the European Rhythm & amp; Blues.

22nd December 2014 23:12 clock

Joe Cocker on stage, 2007 | © Federico Gambarini / dpa

At the end there is this cry. Even half a century later, it combines almost everything that can comprise a single cry lustily: pain and redemption, surrender and anger, helplessness and defiance. It was the first primal scream of pop music, creed their universal appeal. And to this day a picture of screaming, this Waldschrats with the sideburns bushes above the faded batik shirt will quickly even in the minds of later born. He should be an icon, a white singer, like him, the black blues had hitherto rarely seen: Joe Cocker. On the holy field of Woodstock tip among the rebellious Stars, a mere 25 years old, but with an age-wise soul, so it seemed. He sang a piece of the Beatles after, oh what, he tore this With a Little Help From My Friends formally from his heart and gave it to the scraped flower children as a love token.

Do you need anybody?
I need somebody to love!
And you are! And that’s me!

This is one of unbridled, passionate, brilliant live performances in Poparchiv, and he burns himself right into the collective memory of a three-quarter generation. As the older then, and with it the staksige Zausel with the quirky look, they passed it to the later generations. Also known as the longest techno, grunge, Britpop Rap and hears the cry blows strange persistently through the echo chamber of collective memory as Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries Presley or tremolo. He just does not let go, never as deep as it comes from the stomach. 1969 a world wide stage in the northeastern town America. An eternity.

generations listen to him

It is not flattering for an artist to be over and over again nailed to a singular early work, as was then came no more. Finally, after a lot has come much even. A world-class career, almost cult status, also laughing numbers sometimes on the verge of self-exposure, but in between he always: the belly of the European Rhythm & amp; Blues, a singer, as there was no before him, and will hardly be after him at a. Now he is dead, died at 70 of complications from long-term lung disease, back home in Colorado, apparently completely still and peaceful.

So somehow very different from his life before. John Robert Cocker, that’s life, the flame of the

fire musical of all generations, hanging him on the lips. So really all generations, from Flowerpower on the Eightiespop to the core audience of ZDF. 1944 born in the British city of Sheffield steelworkers, the trained gas fitter hired after work on top of it as a pub singer for a few pounds Gage and plenty of beer. He called Vance Arnold, plays as a teenager times before the Rolling Stones, entert just before Woodstock with Marjorine for the first time the singles charts and are focusing then on having the songs of other abundant success. . Until the crash

early seventies drilled Joe Cocker, what with superstars that time is common: He experimented not with drugs, the drugs are experimenting with it. Nothing he does not pour in itself, suck, would probably inject. Quite a few of his two dozen plates appear in that era, but they often fade in real time. Shortly thereafter, he even sits in jail. Something with substance, something with violence. Bursts a concert. Joe Cocker is on the ground. By 1981, the balding draws him a duet with Jennifer Warnes from the bottom, up to Hollywood, where Up Where We Belong as the theme song of Richard Gere An Officer and a Gentleman in 1983 Oscar wins and Cocker and Warnes be honored with a Grammy.

The edge on the glossy surface

From now one of the budding cuddly bard a fixture of popular musical Biedermeier. Not only because his cover versions – from the Sixties hit Summer in the City on the virile Blue tearjerker You Can Leave Your Hat On to beer advertising jingle Sail Away – the need for reasonably tasteful pop satisfied. But because Joe Cocker is more than just charts Artist-compatible streamline songs. Half a human life he mimes the shadows in showbiz, the small edge on the polished surface of the glossy business, a fallible with tremendous success, and indeed no such whispers you to be the times a übern thirst drinks – no, an inveterate drinker, the the most deadly addiction in human history with persistent obstinacy ruining. For the majority of society out of the screens, especially the German audience, he is thus the living proof that a little skewed in life is okay, as long as you do your job. An English Harald Juhnke, so to speak.

It has its most distinctive character, and that is all the more surprising has nothing to do with drugs. The trembling hand is not a result of addiction, but expressive musicality. Already in Woodstock he gestures with both hands and his performance has reasons for being the inventor of the air guitar. Joe Cocker can not sing perfectly and certainly not dance that he has mastered an instrument, let alone notes that his late work better Florian Silbereisen fit than muddy potheads on the Get Together , all this harm not its fascinating career. After its end is here but far more than this one cry. He was just very loud.