Paul McCartney is urging for the late English blues-rock singer Joe Cocker to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year.
In a letter dated February 25 and addressed to “rock and rollers,” McCartney praised Cocker, who passed away in 2014 at the age of 70, as a “great man and a fine singer” with an exceptional style. “He sang one of our songs, ‘With A Little Help From My Friends,’ a version produced by Denny Cordell, which was very imaginative,” McCartney shared.
Cocker’s 1968 rendition of the Beatles’ classic “With A Little Help From My Friends” brought an electric energy to the song, a performance famously parodied by John Belushi on “Saturday Night Live.”
McCartney continued, “And while [Cocker] 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.”
In 2024, McCartney had also supported the induction of Foreigner into the Hall of Fame, alongside other figures like Peter Frampton, Cher, and Oasis. Their efforts were successful, with Foreigner being inducted alongside stars like Dionne Warwick, Cher, Mary J. Blige, and the Dave Matthews Band at a ceremony that featured performances by Dua Lipa, Jelly Roll, and others.
McCartney himself was inducted as a solo artist into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999 by Neil Young, and The Beatles were inducted as a group in 1988, their first year of eligibility. Each Beatles member was inducted individually between 1994 and 2015.
Cocker, who has been eligible for induction since 1994, is among the first-time nominees this year, along with Chubby Checker, Maná, Phish, Outkast, Billy Idol, the Black Crowes, and Bad Company. Other repeat nominees include Mariah Carey, Oasis, the White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper, Joy Division/New Order, and Soundgarden.
The induction ceremony will be held in Los Angeles this fall, with the exact date yet to be announced.
Read McCartney’s full letter to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame below.
