El cantante de rock británico Joe Cocker murió el domingo 21 de diciembre a los 70 años en
su casa de Colorado, en los Estados Unidos, tras una dura batalla con el cáncer de pulmón.
El músico, conocido por su voz desgarrada, nació en
Sheffield, en el norte de Inglaterra. Como comentó el que fue su representante:
"Fue sin duda alguna la mayor voz de rock y soul que nunca dio el Reino Unido".
Tras tocar la batería con los Cavaliers y formar parte de los grupos Gasborad y Vince Arnold and the Avengers, grabó su primer
single en 1964 con las canciones Georgia on my Mind,
del maestro negro Ray Charles y I'll Cry Instead, de
los Beatles. Cuatro años después tuvo su primer éxito con la
versión de With a Little Help From my Friends, también de los Beatles, que le colocó
en los primeros puestos de las listas de éxitos británicas y europeas.
Durante los años sesenta y principios de los setenta
sus canciones alcanzaron grandes éxitos. Fue muy recordado como la "voz" de Woodstok por su participación en dicho
festival en 1969 en Estados Unidos, uno de los festivales de rock y
congregación hippie más famosos e
importantes de la historia.
Su gran éxito llegó con la canción Up Where We Belong,
de la película Oficial y caballero (1982),
cantada a dúo con Jennifer Warnes, por la que logro un Óscar. Cocker
entablaría una estrecha amistad con el cine a partir de ahí, produciendo otros
temas memorables como la seductora You can Leave your Hat on,
escrita por Randy Newman para la película Nueve semanas y media (1985)
o los álbumes Civilized Man (1984) y Cocker (1986).
Cocker reveló su faceta humanitaria gracias a la
colaboración en festivales como el homenaje a Nelson Mandela con motivo de su 70 cumpleaños o la conmemoración de
la caída del Muro en 1989. En estos últimos años dedicaba especial
atención a su fundación "Cocker
Kids Foundation", para la ayuda a niños y jóvenes.
En 2007 la reina de Inglaterra, Isabel II, entregó a Cocker la medalla que le acreditaba como
Oficial del Imperio Británico por sus servicios a la música.
Otros grandes
éxitos suyos fueron You are so beautiful (1974), Unchain my heart (1987), y las versiones I shall be released (1968), compuesta por Bob Dylan; Bye Bye Blackbird (1969) de Ray Henderson y Mort Dixon, Cry me a river (1970) de Arthur Hamilton, y Sorry Seems to be the hardest world (1991), compuesta por Elton John y Bernie Taupin.
The voice of Woodstock
British
rock singer Joe Cocker died on Sunday December 21 at
the age of 70 at his home in Colorado, after a long battle with lung cancer.
The
musician, known for his broken voice, was born in Sheffield, northern England.
As his manager said: "He was without the doubt the greatest rock/soul voice
ever to come out of Britain".
After playing the drums with the Cavaliers and being part of Gasborad and Vince Arnold and the Avengers, he recorded his first single in 1964 with the songs "Georgia on my Mind" by Ray Charles and "I'll Cry Instead", from the Beatles. Four years later he had his first success with the release of "With a Little Help from My Friends", also from the Beatles, that placed him at the top of the list of British and European hits.
After playing the drums with the Cavaliers and being part of Gasborad and Vince Arnold and the Avengers, he recorded his first single in 1964 with the songs "Georgia on my Mind" by Ray Charles and "I'll Cry Instead", from the Beatles. Four years later he had his first success with the release of "With a Little Help from My Friends", also from the Beatles, that placed him at the top of the list of British and European hits.
During
the sixties and early seventies his songs achieved great successes. He was best
remembered as the "voice" of Woodstok for his participation in the
1969 festival in the United States, one of the most famous rock and hippie
festivals in history.
His great
hit came with the song "Up Where We Belong", from the film “An Officer and a
Gentleman” (1982), sung a duet with Jennifer Warnes, thanks to which he won an Oscar.
Cocker would enter into a close friendship with cinema from that moment on,
producing other memorable songs as "You Can Leave Your Hat
On" written by Randy Newman, for the film “Nine
1/2 Weeks” (1985) or the albums Civilized Man (1984) and Cocker (1986).
Cocker
revealed his humanitarian side through his collaboration at festivals such as
the tribute to Nelson Mandela due to his 70th birthday or the commemoration of
the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. In recent years he devoted special
attention to his foundation "Cocker Kids Foundation" for assistance
to children and youth.
In
2007 the Queen of England, Elizabeth II, gave Cocker the medal which credited
him as Officer of the British Empire for his services to music.
Others
of his greatest hits were "You are so beautiful" (1974), "Unchain My Heart" (1987), and the versions
"I Shall Be Released" (1968), composed by Bob
Dylan; "Bye Bye Blackbird" (1969) by Ray Henderson
and Mort Dixon, "Cry me a river" (1970) by Arthur Hamilton,
and "Sorry Seems to be the hardest world" (1991), composed by Elton
John and Bernie Taupin.
Diego Martín
Review: Pilar Colomo
.