“Joe Cocker – Bye Bye Blackbird”

John Robert “Joe” Cocker, OBE (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer and musician. He was known for his gritty voice, spasmodic body movement in performance, and definitive versions of popular songs.

“Bye Bye Blackbird” is a song published in 1924 by Jerome H. Remick and written by the American composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standardand was first recorded by Sam Lanin’s Dance Orchestra in March 1926.

With a Little Help from My Friends is the debut album by singer-songwriter Joe Cocker, released in May 1969. Bye Bye Blackbird is on side 1 of the album, track #2. Cocker’s cover of Bye Bye Blackbird remains remarkable today.

The album was certified gold in the US and peaked at number 35 on the Billboard 200. In the UK, the album charted in May 1972 at number 29 when it was re-released as a double pack with Cocker’s second LP Joe Cocker!

In 1993 Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male, in 2007 was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown, and in 2008 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone’s 100 greatest singers list. Wiki commons