The legendary vocalist Joe Cocker, whose renditions of “With a Little Help from My Friends” and “You Are So Beautiful” have become searing classics, has died at age 70. His rumbling, scorching instrument is peerless, even if it was famously imitated to comic effect by the late John Belushi. We've compiled a handful of Cocker's great live performances here.
We begin at Woodstock, where he scintillated with “Something's Coming On.”
Naturally he also blew Woodstock away with his version of “With a Little Help from My Friends.” Cue the opening credits of “The Wonder Years.”
This performance of “The Letter” from Cocker's live album “Mad Dogs & Englishmen” is explosive.
In one of the first instances of a celebrity crashing 'SNL' to perform alongside his impersonator, Joe Cocker joined John Belushi live on air. Priceless.
It's hard to pick a best rendition of “You Are So Beautiful,” but the hushed urgency here is fabulous.
Here are Cocker and Jennifer Warnes crooned the Oscar-winning tune “Up Where We Belong” from “An Officer and a Gentlemen” in 1983. Never forget that Buffy Sainte-Marie has a songwriting Oscar.
And from the much more recent past, here's Cocker with a splintering live take of “Unchain My Heart.” Perfection.