Following a lung cancer that was mostly kept quiet from the media until September 2014, Joe Cocker's death has now been officially announced, bringing many artists together to mourn the man best known for his raspy-voiced and soulful versions of great songs, most famously The Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends."
Cocker became famous in 1969, after years of being a journeyman singer in his native United Kingdom - he was a part of the iconic Woodstock music festival of 1969, along with legends of music of the like of Jimi Hendrix, Joan Baez, Carlos Santana and The Who. In it, he played "With a Little Help From My Friends," becoming an instant celebrity - and now, following Joe Cocker's death, many of the participants and artists of the time have come forward to remember him.
Cocker first became a public figure following the release of "Woodstock," a documentary film about the festival, where the world first saw his talents, with his rendition of "With a Little Help From My Friends" reaching number 1 at the time, according to CNN.
The iconic artist known for his soul-inflicted renditions of great songs passed away in his United States home last Monday, according to The New York Times. Joe Cocker's death isn't exactly a shock, but since it was only last September that it was announced - informally, after fellow artist Billy Joel said in a concert that he wasn't in top shape and should be indicted in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame before he passed away.
In the midst of Joe Cocker's death, many artists from different genres of music and other arts have paid their respects to the British star, according to Digital Spy. Among these are the two living Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler, Kiss' Gene Simmons, Bette Midler and even "House" star, comedian and actor Hugh Laurie.
Hopefully, Joe Cocker's death could serve the purpose of introducing the younger generations to his amazing vocals.
