Soulful rock icon Joe Cocker died yesterday, Dec. 22, at the age of 70. The singer had been battling lung cancer. Tributes began flooding in from Cocker's contemporaries: Paul McCartney, The Doobie Brothers and Ringo Starr all paid their respects on Twitter. Some of today's artists like Lupe Fiasco, Lady Antebellum and Lenny Kravitz also showed love for the legendary performer.
McCartney recalled Cocker's brilliance on The Beatles's "With a Little Help from My Friends," which the singer recorded in the late 1960s and eventually became the theme song for The Wonder Years:
It's really sad to hear about Joe's passing. He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and like many people I loved his singing. I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With a Little Help from My Friends' and I remember him and Denny Cordell coming round to the studio in Saville Row and playing me what they'd recorded and it was just mind blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful to him for doing that.
Starr also chimed in on Twitter, writing "Goodbye and God bless to Joe Cocker from one of his friends peace and love."
God Bless Joe Cocker. So special. You don't listen to Joe Cocker records, you sing along with them. Thanks for the great music & friendship.
— Joe Walsh (@JoeWalsh) December 22, 2014
The world lost a legend today...Joe Cocker was truly an original. He'll be forever missed. Rest in Peace, Brother. https://t.co/ZI5GMSFbVE — The Doobie Brothers (@TheDoobieBros) December 22, 2014
Oh god. Joe Cocker. The world now feels like a two-legged table. — Hugh Laurie (@hughlaurie) December 22, 2014
And then there was this gem:
Readers: What were your fondest Cocker memories? Let us know in the comments section below.
