E-mail a friendJoe Cocker
airdate August 6, 2008
English rock/blues singer Joe Cocker came to prominence in the '60s and was one of the few Woodstock '69 alums to perform at the festival's redo in '94. He later scored such hits as "You Are So Beautiful" and "Up Where We Belong"—the theme from An Officer and A Gentleman. Known for his distinct gravelly voice and memorable onstage performances, he's regarded as a master song interpreter, and his covers of popular songs are the hallmarks of his career. Cocker is currently touring for his latest album, "Hymn for My Soul."
Singer talks about his new album. (1:01)
Full Interview. (11:05)
Joe Cocker
Tavis: Pleased and honored to welcome Joe Cocker to this program. The Grammy-winning artist has been a fixture in the music business since the late 1960s, and he's still going strong with the release of his new CD, "Hymn for My Soul." The disc features some classic cover songs by artists like Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, and George Harrison.
As I mentioned at the top, last year he was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth, that is, in his native England. Joe Cocker, honored to have you on the program.
Joe Cocker: Good to meet you, Tavis.
Tavis: When the queen honors you that way, am I supposed to treat you a certain way now?
Cocker: Well, I've got to correct you, because I've got an off - you get on days and off days. I got Prince Charles (inaudible). (Laughter)
Tavis: So the queen okayed it, but Charles did the presentation.
Cocker: Correct, yes.
Tavis: All right, fair enough. That's still high cotton - that's still pretty good.
Cocker: It really - it came as a big surprise, because I've lived in the States for so long, I didn't think I would be in line to be able to get an honor like that.
Tavis: How did you process that moment, though? A kid growing up in that part of the world and all these years later, to your point, you end up being honored by the queen and the prince.
Cocker: Yeah, well, I think I was recommended by Tony Blair's office. He was just checking out at that time. And it was a contribution to music. I was very flattered.
Tavis: Speaking of the work that you've done, to receive an award like that, not just for your music but for the work you do every day back in Colorado now, where you've lived for a long time - I'll get to the music in just a second, but the work you do with these kids in this community you live in is pretty powerful stuff.
Cocker: I've got to give credit to my wife, Pam. She came up - she could see that it was a very depressed area where we live. It's farmland on the west slope of Colorado. Everyone thinks of Aspen and Telluride, but there are other areas which are kind of run down. And we just started this charity where we give kids - they write in and tell us what they would like to do, if they want to do music lessons, if they want to go to Europe.
And we have a little committee who sort through them and pick out the best. And I just did a concert up there in the local village, Hotchkiss, which was a buzz. They'd never seen me, all the old farmers. (Laughter)
Tavis: That's nice that you go do that kind of work, though.
Cocker: Yeah, it is.
Tavis: You've been on the road for a couple of years, so you haven't been home lately, I take it.
Cocker: No. Europe is my bread and butter, always has been - like Germany and France, for some odd reason, just really took to my kind of stuff.
Tavis: What do you make of that? Why is that for you?
Cocker: If you listen to the oompa beat of the - you know when I do, like, "Unchain My Heart," with that straight fours, they kind of - I think - I don't know what it is. But a White blues man, they kind of took to me. (Laughter)
Tavis: Is that how you - you feel comfortable describing yourself that way, a White blues man?
Cocker: I'm not, really.
Tavis: It works for me, I'm just -
Cocker: Yeah, well, I'm more of a White soul kind of guy, I think. Blues, I think of Muddy Waters and Sonny Boy Willia
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