What was Joe Cocker's Net Worth?
Joe Cocker was an English rock and blues singer who had a net worth of $60 million. Best known for his bluesy vocals and expressive stage presence, Cocker achieved instant fame in 1968 with his cover of the Beatles song "With a Little Help from My Friends," which reached number one in the UK. He also had hits with his covers of "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" and "You Are So Beautiful," as well as the duet "Up Where We Belong" with Jennifer Warnes.
Cocker received numerous accolades, including a 1983 Grammy Award for "Up Where We Belong." He was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male in 1993 and received an OBE in 2007 for his services to music. Rolling Stone ranked him No. 97 on their list of the 100 greatest singers.
Joe Cocker passed away on December 22, 2014, at the age of 70 after battling lung cancer.
Early Life
Joe Cocker was born on May 20, 1944, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. He was the youngest son of Harold, a civil servant and Royal Air Force aircraft man, and his mother Madge. Influenced by musicians like Ray Charles and Lonnie Donegan, he formed his first music group, the Cavaliers, in 1960. After the Cavaliers disbanded a year later, Cocker left school to become an apprentice gas-fitter at the East Midlands Gas Board.
Career Beginnings
In 1961, Joe Cocker adopted the stage name Vance Arnold and formed the band Vance Arnold and the Avengers, performing Ray Charles and Chuck Berry covers in Sheffield pubs. In 1964, Cocker signed a solo act contract with Decca Records and released "I'll Cry Instead" by the Beatles, which was unsuccessful. His contract expired that year, prompting Cocker to form Joe Cocker's Blues Band before taking a recording hiatus. He returned in 1966, creating the Grease Band with Chris Stainton.
Rise to Fame
Cocker gained widespread fame in 1968 with his Beatles cover "With a Little Help from My Friends," which stayed in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart for 13 weeks before hitting number one. The song was later used as the theme for the TV show "The Wonder Years." Following this success, Cocker toured with the Grease Band and released his debut album "With a Little Help from My Friends," which reached number 35 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold.
Further Albums and Singles
In November 1969, Cocker released his second album "Joe Cocker!," featuring covers of Bob Dylan songs and the Beatles' "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200. Cocker saw further success with hits like "Feelin' Alright," "Cry Me a River," and "The Letter." His third album, "Joe Cocker," released in 1972, included "High Time We Went." In 1974, he released "I Can Stand a Little Rain" featuring "You Are So Beautiful" by Billy Preston. Subsequent albums included "Jamaica Say You Will," "Stingray," "Luxury You Can Afford," and the reggae-influenced "Sheffield Steel."
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In 1982, Cocker's duet "Up Where We Belong" with Jennifer Warnes, written for "An Officer and a Gentleman," topped the Billboard 100 and won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo and the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Cocker released several solo albums afterward, including "Civilized Man," "Cocker," "Unchain My Heart," "One Night of Sin," "Organic," "Respect Yourself," "Hymn for My Soul," and "Hard Knocks." His final album, "Fire It Up," was released in November 2012.
World Tours
Cocker was known for his extensive world tours. During his US tour in the late 60s, he performed at the Denver Pop Festival, Newport Rock Festival, and the iconic Woodstock Festival, and in the UK at the Isle of Wight Festival. In the early 70s, he toured the US with Mad Dogs & Englishmen. Despite his struggles with depression and excessive drinking, he toured with Chris Stainton's band across the US and Europe and later in Australia. In 1976, he toured New Zealand, Australia, and South America. He also performed in Central Park, New York, and was among the first to hold rock concerts in East Germany. Cocker continued touring well into 2013.
Personal Life and Death
Joe Cocker began dating Eileen Webster in 1963, and their relationship lasted intermittently until 1976. In 1978, he met Pam Baker, a summer camp director who convinced actress Jane Fonda to lend Cocker her ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Cocker and Baker married in 1987. A lifelong heavy smoker, Joe Cocker succumbed to lung cancer in December 2014 at the age of 70.
