Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular Music

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COCHRAN, Eddie

(b Cochrane, 3 Oct. '38, Oklahoma City OK; d 17 April '60, UK) Among best of original white rock'n'roll stars of '50s. Lived in Minnesota until '49, family moved to West Coast; earliest work with Hank Cochran (no relation; Eddie dropped the 'e' and they worked as the Cochran Brothers); Hank left for career in country music. After two flop singles Eddie signed with Liberty; hits began in '57. Posthumous issue of early studio sessions was a reminder that he was a better singer than most contemporaries, a good guitar player who co-wrote many songs (with Jerry Capehart), had an early grasp of studio technology and was at home with electric blues ('Milk Cow Blues'), anthemic rock'n'roll ('Summertime Blues'), or teen pop ('Teresa', 'Teenage Heaven', 'Sittin' In The Balcony'). Dynamic live performer; appeared in films Untamed Youth '57, The Girl Can't Help It '56, Go Johnny Go '58. Hits mostly recorded in Hollywood with expert help (black LA session musicians such as drummer Earl Palmer had an unsung role in the period's pop). Best singles 'C'mon Everybody', 'Cut Across Shorty', 'Something Else', 'Summertime Blues'; the latter stands with some of Chuck Berry's as definitive teenage comment: 'I called my congressman and he said, quote,/''I'd like to help you son, but you're too young to vote''.' Broody James Dean-style good looks didn't hurt; like Gene Vincent and Buddy Holly, he was more popular in UK (nine top 40 hits '57-- 63, plus two re-entries) than USA (3). Cochran had recorded version of 'Three Stars' '59, a song about Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, all killed in a plane crash that year, and was himself killed in a car crash near London following triumphant UK tour (Vincent badly injured): latest 'Three Steps To Heaven' swept to no. 1 UK. Covers of Cochran's hits incl. 'Cut Across Shorty' by Rod Stewart (on Gasoline Alley '70), 'Summertime Blues' by the Who (Live At Leeds '70), 'C'mon Everybody' by the Sex Pistols ('79 film The Great Rock'n'Roll Swindle), '20 Flight Rock' by the Rolling Stones (Still Life '82), etc; Sting played a petrol pump attendant with an Eddie Cochran fixation in film Radio On '79. CD compilation on EMI.