Paul McCartney really wants Joe Cocker to get inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. So much so that he wrote an open letter addressed to "Rock and Rollers" explaining why the later singer, who died in 2014, deserves the accolade.
“Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances,” the Beatles star wrote. “He sang one of our songs, ‘With a Little Help From My Friends,’ a version produced by Denny Cordell, which was very imaginative."
“All the people on the panel will be aware of the great contribution Joe made to the history of Rock and Roll," he added. "And whilst he may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame, I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be, amongst such illustrious company.
“Thank you and all the best, Paul McCartney.”
In a separate statement, Macca spoke more about Cocker's 1968 cover of “With A Little Help From My Friends."
“He was a lovely Northern lad who I loved a lot, and, like many people, I loved his singing," he reminisced. “I remember him and Denny Cordell coming round to the studio in Savile Row and playing me what they’d recorded… it was just mind-blowing – totally turned the song into a soul anthem; and I was forever grateful to him for doing that.”
This is Cocker's first Rock Hall nomination, despite being eligible since 1994. Cocker joins Oasis, OutKast, Billy Idol, Cyndi Lauper, Maná, Phish, Chubby Checker, The White Stripes, Bad Company, The Black Crowes, Joy Division/New Order, and Soundgarden on the 2025 ballot.
Listen to Cocker's "With A Little Help From My Friends" cover below.