Singer Joe Cocker, best known for his cover of the Beatles' With A Little Help From My Friends, has died aged 70.
John Robert Cocker was born on 20 May 1944 in Sheffield, he died today after a battle with lung cancer.
His agent Barrie Marshall confirmed the news this afternoon.
"Joe" Cocker OBE was an English rock and blues singer, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is known for his gritty voice, his spasmodic body movement in performance and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles.
His cover of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" reached number one in the UK in 1968, and he performed the song live at Woodstock in 1969.
His version also became the theme song for the TV series The Wonder Years. His 1975 hit single, "You Are So Beautiful", reached number five in the US. Cocker is the recipient of several awards, including a 1983 Grammy Award for his US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes. In 1993 he was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male, and in 2007 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music.
Cocker was ranked #97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.
