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John Robert "Joe" Cocker OBE (born 20 May 1944) is an English rock/blues singer who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles. Cocker was born on 20 May 1944 at 38 Tasker Road, Crookes, Sheffield. He is the youngest son of a civil servant, Harold Cocker and Madge Cocker. According to different family stories, Cocker received his nickname of Joe either from playing a childhood game called "Cowboy Joe" or from a neighborhood window cleaner named Joe. Cocker`s main musical influences growing up were Ray Charles and Lonnie Donegan. Cocker`s first experience singing in public was at age 12 when his older brother Victor invited him on stage to sing during a gig of his skiffle band. In 1960, along with three friends, Cocker formed his first band, the Cavaliers. For the band`s first performance at a youth club, they were required to pay the price of admission before entering. The Cavaliers eventually broke up after a year and Cocker left school to become an apprentice gas fitter while he pursued a career in music.
In 1963, Cocker began dating Eileen Webster, also a resident of Sheffield. The couple dated intermittently for the next thirteen years, separating permanently in 1976. In 1978, Cocker moved onto a ranch owned by Jane Fonda in Santa Barbara. Pam Baker, a local summer camp director and fan of Cocker`s music convinced the actress to rent the house to Cocker. Baker began dating Cocker and they eventually married on 11 October 1987. The couple currently resides on the Mad Dog Ranch in Crawford, Colorado.
Biography Credit: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cocker
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