Joe Cocker Born: Sheffield's Soul-Shaking Voice

Joe Cocker turned his raw, raspy voice into one of rock's most distinctive instruments, reinterpreting songs by the Beatles and other artists with a soul-drenched intensity that made them entirely his own. Born on May 20, 1944, in Sheffield, England, he started singing in pubs and working men's clubs as a teenager, forming his first band at 15. His style was influenced by Ray Charles and other American soul and blues singers, and he brought a physical intensity to performance that was unmistakable. His body contorted as he sang, arms flailing in an involuntary air-guitar that became his visual trademark. His performance at the Woodstock festival in August 1969 transformed him from a regional English pub singer into an international star. His cover of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends," rearranged as a searing gospel-rock anthem, reached number one in the UK and became one of the defining performances of the festival. The Woodstock film captured his electrifying stage presence and introduced him to millions. His career fluctuated through the 1970s and 1980s, marked by battles with alcohol and drugs that affected his reliability as a performer but never diminished his vocal power. "Up Where We Belong," his 1982 duet with Jennifer Warnes for the film "An Officer and a Gentleman," won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and gave his career a major commercial revival. He continued recording and touring through the 1990s and 2000s, his voice becoming richer and more weathered with age. He settled in Crawford, Colorado, far from the music industry, and lived as a rancher when not on tour. He died on December 22, 2014, in Crawford, at age 70, of lung cancer.