Eddie Cochran
Encyclopedia
Eddie Cochran was an American rock and roll
pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly
songs, such as "C'mon Everybody
", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues
", captured teenage frustration and desire in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In the words of Lester Bangs
, writing in Rolling Stone
in 1972, "Eddie may have imitated Elvis vocally even more than a dozen or so other stalwarts of the day such as Conway Twitty
, but his influence on pop consciousness of the magnitude of The Beatles
and The Who
was deep and profound". He experimented with multitracking and overdubbing even on his earliest singles, and was also able to play piano, bass and drums. His image as a sharply dressed, rugged but good looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the Fifties rocker, and in death he achieved iconic status.
Cochran was born in Minnesota and moved with his family to California in the early 1950s. He was involved with music from an early age, playing in the school band and teaching himself to play blues guitar. In 1955, he formed a duet with the unrelated guitarist Hank Cochran
, and when they split the following year, Cochran began a song-writing career with Jerry Capehart
. His first success came when he performed the song "Twenty Flight Rock
" in the movie The Girl Can't Help It
, starring Jayne Mansfield
. Soon after, Liberty Records
signed him to a recording contract.
Cochran was 21 when he died in April 1960 in a road accident during his British tour. Though his best known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His songs have been much covered by bands such as The Who
, The Beach Boys
, The Beatles
, Dick Dale & his Del-Tones
, Blue Cheer
, Led Zeppelin
, Rush
, Humble Pie
, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
, Teenage Head
, Tiger Army
, UFO
, The White Stripes
, Stray Cats
, Tommy and the Guns, and the Sex Pistols
.
, as Ray Edward Cochran. His parents were from Oklahoma and he always stated in interviews that he was from Oklahoma. He took music lessons in school but quit the band to play drums. Also, rather than taking piano lessons, he began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. In 1955, Cochran's family moved to Bell Gardens, California
. As his guitar playing improved, he formed a band with two friends from his junior high school. During a show featuring many performers at an American Legion
hall, he met Hank Cochran
(later a country music
songwriter). Although they were not related, they recorded as The Cochran Brothers and began performing together. Eddie Cochran also worked as a session musician and began writing songs, making a "demo" with Jerry Capehart
, his future manager.
. He agreed and sang a song called "Twenty Flight Rock
" in the movie. In 1957, Cochran starred in his second film, Untamed Youth, and also had his first hit, "Sittin' in the Balcony", one of the few songs he recorded that were written by other songwriters (in this case John D. Loudermilk
). "Twenty Flight Rock" was written by AMI staff writer Ned Fairchild
. AMI granted Cochran a co-writer credit but no royalties, a common arrangement by which publishers move songs from demos to commercial recordings. This allowed Cochran to rewrite or add to the song to turn it into a rock and roll song. Fairchild, who was not a rock and roll performer, merely provided the initial form of the song which Cochran later turned into a rock and roll song. His co-writing credit reflects his changes and contributions to the final product.
In November 1957 Liberty Records
released Cochran's only album released during his lifetime, Singin' To My Baby
. There were only a few rockers on this album, and Liberty seemed to want to move Cochran more into the pop music direction. However, his most famous hit, "Summertime Blues
" (co-written with Jerry Capehart
), was an important influence on music in the late 1950s, both lyrically and musically. The song, released on Liberty
recording #55144, charted at #8 on August 25, 1958. Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "C'mon Everybody
", "Somethin' Else", "My Way", "Weekend", "Teenage Heaven", "Sitting in the Balcony", "Three Stars", "Nervous Breakdown", and his posthumous UK number one hit "Three Steps to Heaven
". In 1959, he backed Skeets McDonald
at Columbia's studios for "You Oughta See Grandma Rock" and "Heart Breaking Mama".
In early 1959, two of Cochran's friends, Buddy Holly
and Ritchie Valens
, along with the Big Bopper, were killed in a plane crash while on tour. Eddie's friends and family later said that he was badly shaken by their deaths, and he developed a morbid premonition that he would also die young. He was anxious to give up life on the road and spend his time in the studio making music, thereby reducing the chance of suffering a similar fatal accident while touring. However, financial responsibilities required that he continue to perform live, and that led to his acceptance of an offer to tour the United Kingdom in 1960.
, not, as widely quoted, a London Hackney carriage
) traveling through Chippenham, Wiltshire
, on the A4. The speeding taxi blew a tire, lost control, and crashed into a lamp post on Rowden Hill, where a plaque now marks the spot (no other car was involved). Cochran, who was seated in the center of the back seat, threw his body over his girlfriend to shield her and was thrown out of the car when the door flew open. He was taken to St. Martin's Hospital, Bath, where he died at 4.10 p.m. the following day of severe head injuries. Cochran's body was flown home and he was buried on April 25, 1960, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
in Cypress, California
.
Songwriter Sharon Sheeley
and singer Gene Vincent
survived the crash, Vincent sustaining lasting injuries to an already permanently damaged leg that would shorten his career and affect him for the rest of his life. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sentenced to prison for six months (although by some accounts he served no prison time at all). His driving privileges were reinstated by the court in 1969. The car and other items from the crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner's inquest could be held. A police cadet at the station, who would become Dave Dee
of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
, taught himself to play guitar on Cochran's impounded Gretsch
. Earlier in the tour, the same guitar had been carried to the car for Cochran by a young fan later to become Marc Bolan
of T.Rex. A posthumous album, My Way
, was released in 1964.
A memorial stone to commemorate Eddie Cochran can be found in the grounds of St Martin’s Hospital in Bath. The stone was restored in 2010 (on the 50th anniversary of his death) and can be found in the old chapel grounds at St Martin’s Hospital. A Memorial Plaque can also be found next to the Sundial at the back of the old chapel.
One of his posthumous releases was "Three Stars", a tribute to J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper
, and Eddie's friends Buddy Holly
and Ritchie Valens
, who had all died together in a plane crash just one year earlier. It was originally written and recorded by Tommy Dee just hours after the deaths were officially reported, and Cochran recorded his version the day after. His voice broke during the lyrics about Valens and Holly.
In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
. His pioneering contribution to the genre of rockabilly
has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
. Several of his songs have been rereleased since his death, such as "C'mon Everybody", which was a number 14 hit in 1988 in the UK. Rolling Stone ranked him number 84 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in 2003.
Cochran's life is chronicled in several publications, including Don’t Forget Me – The Eddie Cochran Story, written by Julie Mundy
and Darrel Higham
(ISBN 0-8230-7931-7), and Three Steps To Heaven, written by Bobby Cochran (ISBN 0-634-03252-6).
On 2 June 2008, The Very Best of Eddie Cochran was released by EMI Records.
, Bruce Springsteen
, Van Halen
, Tom Petty
, Rod Stewart
, Motörhead, Humble Pie
, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
, Lemmy Kilmister
, The Head Cat
, The Damned
, UFO (band)
, T. Rex
, Stray Cats
, Brian Setzer
, Cliff Richard
, The Who
, The Beach Boys
, The Beatles
, Blue Cheer
, Led Zeppelin
, The White Stripes
, The Sex Pistols, Rush
, Buck Owens
, Tiger Army
, Dion
, Simple Minds
, Guitar Wolf
, Paul McCartney
, Alan Jackson
, Keith Richards
& The X-Pensive Winos, and Jimi Hendrix
have covered his songs.
It was because Paul McCartney knew the chords and words to "Twenty Flight Rock
" that he became a member of The Beatles
. John Lennon was so impressed that he invited Paul to play with his band The Quarrymen
. Jimi Hendrix
performed "Summertime Blues" early in his career, and Pete Townshend
of The Who
was heavily influenced by Cochran's guitar style ("Summertime Blues" was a Who live staple at one time and is featured on their Live At Leeds
album). Glam rock artist Marc Bolan
had his main Les Paul
model refinished in a transparent orange to resemble the Gretsch
6120 guitar played by Cochran, who was his music hero. He was also a heavy influence on the nascent rockabilly guitar legend Brian Setzer
from Stray Cats
, who plays a 6120 almost like Cochran, whom he portrayed in the film La Bamba
. Cochran is easily one of the first musicians, alongside Chuck Berry
, whom the late Rory Gallagher
was always quick to mention as a strong influence on his musical taste and performance.
In 1988, "C'mon Everybody" was used by Levi Strauss & Co.
in an advertisement to promote its 501 Jeans catalogue and rereleased as a promotional single, hitting #14 in the UK charts. The advertisement told a story of how the narrator, Sharon Sheeley
, attracted Cochran by wearing her 501s.
Later, Cochran moved to a 1955 Gretsch 6120
Chet Atkins
G-brand Western model, which Eddie had modified. He replaced the neck position De Armond Dynasonic pickup with a black covered Gibson P-90 pickup. He also used Martin acoustic guitars.
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
pioneer who in his brief career had a small but lasting influence on rock music through his guitar playing. Cochran's rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
songs, such as "C'mon Everybody
C'mon Everybody
"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side. In 1959 it peaked in the UK at No. 6 in the singles chart, and, thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued there and became a No. 14 hit. In the United States the song got to No. 35 on...
", "Somethin' Else", and "Summertime Blues
Summertime Blues
"Summertime Blues" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran. It was written in the late 1950s by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on...
", captured teenage frustration and desire in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In the words of Lester Bangs
Lester Bangs
Leslie Conway "Lester" Bangs was an American music journalist, author and musician. He wrote for Creem and Rolling Stone magazines, and was known for his leading influence in rock 'n' roll criticism....
, writing in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
in 1972, "Eddie may have imitated Elvis vocally even more than a dozen or so other stalwarts of the day such as Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty
Conway Twitty , born Harold Lloyd Jenkins, was an American country music artist. He also had success in early rock and roll, R&B, and pop music. He held the record for the most number one singles of any act with 55 No. 1 Billboard country hits until George Strait broke the record in 2006...
, but his influence on pop consciousness of the magnitude of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
was deep and profound". He experimented with multitracking and overdubbing even on his earliest singles, and was also able to play piano, bass and drums. His image as a sharply dressed, rugged but good looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the Fifties rocker, and in death he achieved iconic status.
Cochran was born in Minnesota and moved with his family to California in the early 1950s. He was involved with music from an early age, playing in the school band and teaching himself to play blues guitar. In 1955, he formed a duet with the unrelated guitarist Hank Cochran
Hank Cochran
Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold and others...
, and when they split the following year, Cochran began a song-writing career with Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart was a songwriter and music manager. Capehart co-wrote the famous rock 'n' roll songs "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody" with Eddie Cochran, whom he also managed. He died in Nashville, Tennessee....
. His first success came when he performed the song "Twenty Flight Rock
Twenty Flight Rock
"Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy The Girl Can't Help It, and released as a single in 1957. Cochran's biographer notes Cochran was granted a co-writer credit, but no royalties, a standard ego-salving arrangement between publishers and...
" in the movie The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy musical film starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenplay adapted by Tashlin and Herbert Baker from an uncredited novel Do Re Me by Garson Kanin...
, starring Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
. Soon after, Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
signed him to a recording contract.
Cochran was 21 when he died in April 1960 in a road accident during his British tour. Though his best known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His songs have been much covered by bands such as The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Dick Dale & his Del-Tones
Dick Dale
Dick Dale is an American surf rock guitarist, known as The King of the Surf Guitar. He experimented with reverberation and made use of custom made Fender amplifiers, including the first-ever 100-watt guitar amplifier.-Early life:Dale was born in South Boston, Massachusetts and lived in nearby...
, Blue Cheer
Blue Cheer
Blue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black....
, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Joan Jett
Joan Jett is an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer and actress.She is best known for her work with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts including their hit cover "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 from March 20 to May 1, 1982, as well as for their other popular...
, Teenage Head
Teenage Head
Teenage Head can refer to:* Teenage Head , a 1971 album by The Flamin' Groovies* Teenage Head , the title track from that album...
, Tiger Army
Tiger Army
Tiger Army is an American psychobilly band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. Its constant member and lead song writer is Nick 13. The band have released a total of four studio albums.-History:...
, UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
, Tommy and the Guns, and the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
.
Early life
Cochran was born in Albert Lea, MinnesotaAlbert Lea, Minnesota
Albert Lea is a city in and the county seat of Freeborn County in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 18,016 at the 2010 census....
, as Ray Edward Cochran. His parents were from Oklahoma and he always stated in interviews that he was from Oklahoma. He took music lessons in school but quit the band to play drums. Also, rather than taking piano lessons, he began learning guitar, playing the country music he heard on the radio. In 1955, Cochran's family moved to Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens, California
Bell Gardens is a city in Los Angeles County, California. The population was 42,072 at the 2010 census, down from 44,054 at the 2000 census.Bell Gardens is notable for being one of only five Los Angeles County cities to permit casino gambling...
. As his guitar playing improved, he formed a band with two friends from his junior high school. During a show featuring many performers at an American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
hall, he met Hank Cochran
Hank Cochran
Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold and others...
(later a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
songwriter). Although they were not related, they recorded as The Cochran Brothers and began performing together. Eddie Cochran also worked as a session musician and began writing songs, making a "demo" with Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart was a songwriter and music manager. Capehart co-wrote the famous rock 'n' roll songs "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody" with Eddie Cochran, whom he also managed. He died in Nashville, Tennessee....
, his future manager.
Music career (1956–1960)
In 1956, Boris Petroff asked Cochran if he would appear in the musical comedy film The Girl Can't Help ItThe Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy musical film starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenplay adapted by Tashlin and Herbert Baker from an uncredited novel Do Re Me by Garson Kanin...
. He agreed and sang a song called "Twenty Flight Rock
Twenty Flight Rock
"Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy The Girl Can't Help It, and released as a single in 1957. Cochran's biographer notes Cochran was granted a co-writer credit, but no royalties, a standard ego-salving arrangement between publishers and...
" in the movie. In 1957, Cochran starred in his second film, Untamed Youth, and also had his first hit, "Sittin' in the Balcony", one of the few songs he recorded that were written by other songwriters (in this case John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk
John D. Loudermilk is an American singer and songwriter.-Biography:Born in Durham, North Carolina, Loudermilk grew up in a family who were members of the Salvation Army faith and was influenced by the church singing. His cousins Ira and Charlie Loudermilk were known professionally as the Louvin...
). "Twenty Flight Rock" was written by AMI staff writer Ned Fairchild
Ned Fairchild
Ned Fairchild is the pen name of Nelda Fairchild an American songwriter. Her best known work is the hit rock'n'roll hit "Twenty Flight Rock"....
. AMI granted Cochran a co-writer credit but no royalties, a common arrangement by which publishers move songs from demos to commercial recordings. This allowed Cochran to rewrite or add to the song to turn it into a rock and roll song. Fairchild, who was not a rock and roll performer, merely provided the initial form of the song which Cochran later turned into a rock and roll song. His co-writing credit reflects his changes and contributions to the final product.
In November 1957 Liberty Records
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
released Cochran's only album released during his lifetime, Singin' To My Baby
Singin' To My Baby
Singin' To My Baby is the first album by Eddie Cochran, released on Liberty Records in mono in November of 1957. The catalogue number was LRP 3061. It was the only album by Eddie Cochran released during his lifetime which was cut short on April 17, 1960...
. There were only a few rockers on this album, and Liberty seemed to want to move Cochran more into the pop music direction. However, his most famous hit, "Summertime Blues
Summertime Blues
"Summertime Blues" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran. It was written in the late 1950s by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on...
" (co-written with Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart
Jerry Capehart was a songwriter and music manager. Capehart co-wrote the famous rock 'n' roll songs "Summertime Blues" and "C'mon Everybody" with Eddie Cochran, whom he also managed. He died in Nashville, Tennessee....
), was an important influence on music in the late 1950s, both lyrically and musically. The song, released on Liberty
Liberty Records
Liberty Records was a United States-based record label. It was started by chairman Simon Waronker in 1955 with Al Bennett as president and Theodore Keep as chief engineer. It was reactivated in 2001 in the United Kingdom and had two previous revivals.-1950s:...
recording #55144, charted at #8 on August 25, 1958. Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "C'mon Everybody
C'mon Everybody
"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side. In 1959 it peaked in the UK at No. 6 in the singles chart, and, thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued there and became a No. 14 hit. In the United States the song got to No. 35 on...
", "Somethin' Else", "My Way", "Weekend", "Teenage Heaven", "Sitting in the Balcony", "Three Stars", "Nervous Breakdown", and his posthumous UK number one hit "Three Steps to Heaven
Three Steps to Heaven (song)
"Three Steps to Heaven" is a 1960 single by Eddie Cochran. It became a posthumous UK number-one hit for Cochran following his death in a car crash. In the US it didn't reach the Billboard Hot 100...
". In 1959, he backed Skeets McDonald
Skeets McDonald
Enos William McDonald , better known as Skeets McDonald, was an American country and rockabilly musician popular during the 1950s and 60s...
at Columbia's studios for "You Oughta See Grandma Rock" and "Heart Breaking Mama".
In early 1959, two of Cochran's friends, Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
and Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, along with the Big Bopper, were killed in a plane crash while on tour. Eddie's friends and family later said that he was badly shaken by their deaths, and he developed a morbid premonition that he would also die young. He was anxious to give up life on the road and spend his time in the studio making music, thereby reducing the chance of suffering a similar fatal accident while touring. However, financial responsibilities required that he continue to perform live, and that led to his acceptance of an offer to tour the United Kingdom in 1960.
Death
On Saturday, April 16, 1960, at about 11.50 p.m., while on tour in the United Kingdom, 21-year-old Cochran died in a traffic accident in a taxi (a Ford ConsulFord Consul
The Ford Consul is a car manufactured by Ford in Britain.Between 1951 and 1962 the Consul was the four-cylinder base model of the three-model Ford Zephyr range, comprising Consul, Zephyr and Zephyr Zodiac...
, not, as widely quoted, a London Hackney carriage
Hackney carriage
A hackney or hackney carriage is a carriage or automobile for hire...
) traveling through Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Chippenham is a market town in Wiltshire, England, located east of Bath and west of London. In the 2001 census the population of the town was recorded as 28,065....
, on the A4. The speeding taxi blew a tire, lost control, and crashed into a lamp post on Rowden Hill, where a plaque now marks the spot (no other car was involved). Cochran, who was seated in the center of the back seat, threw his body over his girlfriend to shield her and was thrown out of the car when the door flew open. He was taken to St. Martin's Hospital, Bath, where he died at 4.10 p.m. the following day of severe head injuries. Cochran's body was flown home and he was buried on April 25, 1960, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries
Forest Lawn Memorial-Parks & Mortuaries is an American corporation that owns and operates a chain of cemeteries and mortuaries in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties in Southern California. The company was founded by a group of San Francisco businessmen in 1906. Dr...
in Cypress, California
Cypress, California
Cypress is a suburban city located in the northern region of Orange County within Southern California. Its population was 47,802 at the 2010 census.-History:...
.
Songwriter Sharon Sheeley
Sharon Sheeley
Sharon Sheeley was an American songwriter, born in California, who wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Brenda Lee, and Sheeley's former fiancé, Eddie Cochran.-Life:...
and singer Gene Vincent
Gene Vincent
Vincent Eugene Craddock , known as Gene Vincent, was an American musician who pioneered the styles of rock and roll and rockabilly. His 1956 top ten hit with his Blue Caps, "Be-Bop-A-Lula", is considered a significant early example of rockabilly...
survived the crash, Vincent sustaining lasting injuries to an already permanently damaged leg that would shorten his career and affect him for the rest of his life. The taxi driver, George Martin, was convicted of dangerous driving, fined £50, disqualified from driving for 15 years, and sentenced to prison for six months (although by some accounts he served no prison time at all). His driving privileges were reinstated by the court in 1969. The car and other items from the crash were impounded at the local police station until a coroner's inquest could be held. A police cadet at the station, who would become Dave Dee
Dave Dee
Dave Dee , was an English singer-songwriter, musician, A&R manager, fundraiser and businessman. He was the frontman for 1960s pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.-Early life :...
of the band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich , were a British pop/rock group of the 1960s. Two of their single releases sold in excess of one million copies each, and they reached Number One in the UK with the second of them, "The Legend of Xanadu".-Biography:Five friends from Wiltshire, David John Harman,...
, taught himself to play guitar on Cochran's impounded Gretsch
Gretsch
The Gretsch Company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a twenty-seven year old German immigrant recently arrived in the US. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums, until his death in 1895. His son, Fred, moved operations to Brooklyn, New York in 1916...
. Earlier in the tour, the same guitar had been carried to the car for Cochran by a young fan later to become Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
of T.Rex. A posthumous album, My Way
My Way (Eddie Cochran album)
My Way is a compilation album by Eddie Cochran, posthumously released in 1964 .-Track listing:# "My Way" # "Little Angel" # "Eddie's Blues"# "Love Again" # "I Almost Lost My Mind" # "Jam Sandwich"...
, was released in 1964.
A memorial stone to commemorate Eddie Cochran can be found in the grounds of St Martin’s Hospital in Bath. The stone was restored in 2010 (on the 50th anniversary of his death) and can be found in the old chapel grounds at St Martin’s Hospital. A Memorial Plaque can also be found next to the Sundial at the back of the old chapel.
Posthumous releases and honors
Cochran was a prolific performer, and the British label Rockstar Records has released more of his music posthumously than had been released during his life. The company is still looking for unpublished songs.One of his posthumous releases was "Three Stars", a tribute to J.P. Richardson, better known as The Big Bopper
The Big Bopper
Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson, Jr. also commonly known as The Big Bopper, was an American disc jockey, singer, and songwriter whose big voice and exuberant personality made him an early rock and roll star...
, and Eddie's friends Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
and Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens
Ritchie Valens was a Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist....
, who had all died together in a plane crash just one year earlier. It was originally written and recorded by Tommy Dee just hours after the deaths were officially reported, and Cochran recorded his version the day after. His voice broke during the lyrics about Valens and Holly.
In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
. His pioneering contribution to the genre of rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on the internet on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre....
. Several of his songs have been rereleased since his death, such as "C'mon Everybody", which was a number 14 hit in 1988 in the UK. Rolling Stone ranked him number 84 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time in 2003.
Cochran's life is chronicled in several publications, including Don’t Forget Me – The Eddie Cochran Story, written by Julie Mundy
Julie Mundy
Julie Mundy is a writer on 20th century history and popular culture, especially Elvis Presley.In 2003, Graceland chose Julie Mundy to document Elvis Presley's wardrobe and his influence on twentieth century popular culture....
and Darrel Higham
Darrel Higham
Darrel Higham is an English rockabilly guitarist.-Career:Higham started playing lead guitar with British rockabilly bands in the late 1980s. By the mid-1990s, he had created the band that would become his main gigging and recording project: Darrel Higham & The Enforcers...
(ISBN 0-8230-7931-7), and Three Steps To Heaven, written by Bobby Cochran (ISBN 0-634-03252-6).
On 2 June 2008, The Very Best of Eddie Cochran was released by EMI Records.
Influence
One of the first rock and roll artists to write his own songs and overdub tracks, Cochran is credited also with being one of the first to use an unwound third string in order to "bend" notes up a whole tone – an innovation (imparted to UK guitarist Joe Brown, who secured much session work as a result) which has since become an essential part of the standard rock guitar vocabulary. Artists such as The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Motörhead, Humble Pie
Humble Pie (band)
Humble Pie was a rock band from England, finding success both in the UK and the US. They are remembered for songs such as "Black Coffee" "30 Days in the Hole", "I Don't Need No Doctor", and "Natural Born Bugie"...
, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen is an American country rock band founded in 1967. Core members included founder George Frayne, John Tichy, Billy C. Farlow, Bill Kirchen, Andy Stein, Paul "Buffalo" Bruce Barlow, Lance Dickerson, and Bobby Black....
, Lemmy Kilmister
Lemmy Kilmister
Ian Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister is an English heavy metal musician....
, The Head Cat
The Head Cat
The Head Cat is an American rockabilly supergroup formed by vocalist Lemmy , drummer Slim Jim Phantom and guitarist Danny B. Harvey .-History:...
, The Damned
The Damned
The Damned are an English gothic punk band formed in London in 1976. They were the first punk rock band from the United Kingdom to release a single , an album , to have a record on the UK music charts, and to tour the United States...
, UFO (band)
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
, Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
, Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
, Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, The Beach Boys signed to Capitol Records in 1962...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Blue Cheer
Blue Cheer
Blue Cheer was an American psychedelic blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009...
, Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
, The White Stripes
The White Stripes
The White Stripes was an American rock band, formed in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan. The group consisted of the songwriter Jack White and drummer Meg White . Jack and Meg White were previously married to each other, but are now divorced...
, The Sex Pistols, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Buck Owens
Buck Owens
Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. , better known as Buck Owens, was an American singer and guitarist who had 21 No. 1 hits on the Billboard country music charts with his band, the Buckaroos...
, Tiger Army
Tiger Army
Tiger Army is an American psychobilly band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. Its constant member and lead song writer is Nick 13. The band have released a total of four studio albums.-History:...
, Dion
Dion DiMucci
Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Guitar Wolf
Guitar Wolf
Guitar Wolf is a Japanese garage punk power trio founded in Nagasaki, Nagasaki in 1987. The band is known for songs with piercing vocals and an extremely loud style of noise-influenced punk which emphasizes heavy distortion and feedback...
, Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, Alan Jackson
Alan Jackson
Alan Eugene Jackson is an American country music singer, known for blending traditional honky tonk and mainstream country sounds and penning many of his own hits. He has recorded 13 studio albums, 3 Greatest Hits albums, 2 Holiday albums, 1 Gospel album and several compilations, all on the Arista...
, Keith Richards
Keith Richards
Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
& The X-Pensive Winos, and Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
have covered his songs.
It was because Paul McCartney knew the chords and words to "Twenty Flight Rock
Twenty Flight Rock
"Twenty Flight Rock" is a song originally performed by Eddie Cochran in the 1956 film comedy The Girl Can't Help It, and released as a single in 1957. Cochran's biographer notes Cochran was granted a co-writer credit, but no royalties, a standard ego-salving arrangement between publishers and...
" that he became a member of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. John Lennon was so impressed that he invited Paul to play with his band The Quarrymen
The Quarrymen
The Quarrymen are a British skiffle and rock and roll group, initially formed in Liverpool in 1956, that eventually evolved into The Beatles in 1960...
. Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
performed "Summertime Blues" early in his career, and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
was heavily influenced by Cochran's guitar style ("Summertime Blues" was a Who live staple at one time and is featured on their Live At Leeds
Live at Leeds
Live at Leeds is The Who's first live album, and is the only live album that was released while the group were still recording and performing regularly. Initially released in the United States on 16 May 1970, by Decca and MCA and the United Kingdom on 23 May 1970, by Track and Polydor, the album...
album). Glam rock artist Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan
Marc Bolan was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and poet. He is best known as the founder, frontman, lead singer & guitarist for T. Rex, but also a successful solo artist...
had his main Les Paul
Gibson Les Paul
The Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
model refinished in a transparent orange to resemble the Gretsch
Gretsch
The Gretsch Company was founded in 1883 by Friedrich Gretsch, a twenty-seven year old German immigrant recently arrived in the US. Friedrich Gretsch manufactured banjos, tambourines, and drums, until his death in 1895. His son, Fred, moved operations to Brooklyn, New York in 1916...
6120 guitar played by Cochran, who was his music hero. He was also a heavy influence on the nascent rockabilly guitar legend Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer
Brian Setzer is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. He first found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly revival group The Stray Cats, and revitalized his career in the late 1990s with a jazz-oriented big band.-Career:Setzer was born in Massapequa, New York...
from Stray Cats
Stray Cats
Stray Cats are an American Rockabilly band formed in 1980 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer , upright bassist Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. The group had numerous hit singles in the UK, Australia and the U.S...
, who plays a 6120 almost like Cochran, whom he portrayed in the film La Bamba
La Bamba
La Bamba may refer to:*La Bamba , a 1987 film based on the life and death of Ritchie Valens*"La Bamba" , a folk song best known from a 1958 adaptation by Ritchie Valens*"La Bomba" , a 2000 Latin pop song by King Africa...
. Cochran is easily one of the first musicians, alongside Chuck Berry
Chuck Berry
Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...
, whom the late Rory Gallagher
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher, ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995, was an Irish blues-rock multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and bandleader. Born in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, Ireland, and raised in Cork, Gallagher recorded solo albums throughout the 1970s and 1980s, after forming the band Taste...
was always quick to mention as a strong influence on his musical taste and performance.
In 1988, "C'mon Everybody" was used by Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
in an advertisement to promote its 501 Jeans catalogue and rereleased as a promotional single, hitting #14 in the UK charts. The advertisement told a story of how the narrator, Sharon Sheeley
Sharon Sheeley
Sharon Sheeley was an American songwriter, born in California, who wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Ricky Nelson, Brenda Lee, and Sheeley's former fiancé, Eddie Cochran.-Life:...
, attracted Cochran by wearing her 501s.
Guitars
When playing with Hank Cochran, Eddie Cochran played a Gibson L-4C archtop acoustic guitar with a florentine cutaway and a DeArmond 'Rhythm Chief' pickup, which can be clearly seen in the Cochran Brothers publicity photograph.Later, Cochran moved to a 1955 Gretsch 6120
Gretsch 6120
The Gretsch 6120 is a hollow body electric guitar with f-holes manufactured by Gretsch and first appearing in the mid-1950s with the endorsement of Chet Atkins. It was quickly adopted by rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran, Duane Eddy, Eric Clapton, Brian Setzer and many others...
Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
G-brand Western model, which Eddie had modified. He replaced the neck position De Armond Dynasonic pickup with a black covered Gibson P-90 pickup. He also used Martin acoustic guitars.
Singles
- "Sittin' In The BalconySittin' In The Balcony"Sittin' In The Balcony" is a song written and performed by John D. Loudermilk under his artist name Johnny Dee. It was released in January 1957 on the Colonial records label.-Eddie Cochran version:...
b/w Dark Lonely Street (February 1957) #18 - "Drive In Show" b/w "Am I BlueAm I Blue?"Am I Blue?" is a song written by Harry Akst and Grant Clarke in 1929, and was a big hit that year for Ethel Waters. It has become a standard and has been covered by numerous artists.-Other versions:...
Liberty F55087 (July 1957) #82 - "Jeannie Jeannie JeannieJeannie Jeannie JeannieThe Stray Cats recorded a version of "Jeanie Jeanie Jeanie" which was released on their first UK album Stray Cats in 1981. The song was also released on their debut US album Built for Speed...
" b/w Pocketful Of Hearts (January 1958) #94 - "Summertime BluesSummertime Blues"Summertime Blues" is the title of a song co-written and recorded by American rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran. It was written in the late 1950s by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958 and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on...
" b/w "Love AgainLove Again (Sharon Sheeley song)"Love Again" is a song by Sharon Sheeley, released by Eddie Cochran in 1958 as single B-side.-External links:*...
" Liberty F55144 (July 1958) #8 - "C'mon EverybodyC'mon Everybody"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as a B-side. In 1959 it peaked in the UK at No. 6 in the singles chart, and, thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued there and became a No. 14 hit. In the United States the song got to No. 35 on...
" b/w "Don't Ever Let Me Go" Liberty F55166 (October 1958) #35 - "Teenage HeavenTeenage Heaven"Teenage Heaven" is a 1959 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart. It was the A-side of Liberty F-55177 and was featured in the movie Go, Johnny Go! The single rose to number 99 on the Billboard charts...
" b/w "I Remember" Liberty 55177 (February 1959) #99 - "Somethin' Else" b/w "Boll Weevil SongBoll Weevil (song)"Boll Weevil" is a traditional blues song, also known by similar titles such as "Boweavil" or "Boll Weevil Blues." Although many songs about the boll weevil were recorded by blues musicians during the 1920s, '30s and '40s, this one has become well known, thanks perhaps to Lead Belly's rendition of...
" Liberty 55203 (July 1959) #58
U.S. albums
- Singin' To My BabySingin' To My BabySingin' To My Baby is the first album by Eddie Cochran, released on Liberty Records in mono in November of 1957. The catalogue number was LRP 3061. It was the only album by Eddie Cochran released during his lifetime which was cut short on April 17, 1960...
Liberty LRP-3061 (November 1957) - 12 of His Biggest HitsThe Eddie Cochran Memorial AlbumThe Eddie Cochran Memorial Album is the second album by Eddie Cochran, released on Liberty Records in mono, LRP 3172, in May of 1960. It had previously been issued as 12 of His Biggest Hits in April of 1960 with the same catalogue number, but after Cochran's death on April 17 it was retitled and...
Liberty LRP-3172 (April 1960) reissued as The Eddie Cochran Memorial AlbumThe Eddie Cochran Memorial AlbumThe Eddie Cochran Memorial Album is the second album by Eddie Cochran, released on Liberty Records in mono, LRP 3172, in May of 1960. It had previously been issued as 12 of His Biggest Hits in April of 1960 with the same catalogue number, but after Cochran's death on April 17 it was retitled and...
(May 1960) - Never To Be ForgottenNever To Be ForgottenNever To Be Forgotten was the third album by Eddie Cochran and the second album posthumously released after Cochran's death in 1960. The album was released by Liberty Records in January 1962...
Liberty LRP-3220 (January 1962) - Summertime BluesSummertime Blues (album)Summertime Blues was the fourth album by Eddie Cochran and the third album posthumously released after Cochran's death in 1960. The album was released on the Sunset Records label in August 1966 in both stereo and mono...
Sunset SUS-5123 (August 1966) - Legendary Masters SeriesLegendary Masters SeriesLegendary Masters Series was the fifth album by Eddie Cochran and the fourth album posthumously released after Cochran's death in 1960. The album was released as a two album set on the United Artists label in January 1972...
United Artists UAS 9959 (January 1972) - The Very Best Of Eddie Cochran (1975)
- Singin' To My Baby (re-issue)Singin' To My Baby (re-issue)This re-issue of the original 1957 album Singin' To My Baby was the seventh album by Eddie Cochran and the sixth album posthumously released after Cochran's death in 1960. The album was released on the Liberty records label in 1975...
(1981) - Great HitsEddie Cochran Great HitsThe Very Best Of Eddie Cochran was the eight album by Eddie Cochran and the seventh album posthumously released after Cochran's death in 1960. The album was released on the Liberty Records label in 1983. The catalogue number was LN-10204...
(1983) - On The AirEddie Cochran On The AirOn The Air was the ninth US album by Eddie Cochran and the eighth album posthumously released after Cochran's death in 1960. The album was released on the EMI America label in 1987...
(1987) - The Best Of Eddie Cochran (1987)
- Greatest Hits Curb Records (1990)
- Singin' to My Baby and Never To Be Forgotten EMI Records (1993)
UK albums
- Cherished Memories (December 1962)
- My WayMy Way (Eddie Cochran album)My Way is a compilation album by Eddie Cochran, posthumously released in 1964 .-Track listing:# "My Way" # "Little Angel" # "Eddie's Blues"# "Love Again" # "I Almost Lost My Mind" # "Jam Sandwich"...
(September 1964) - The Legendary Eddie Cochran (June 1971)
- The Many Sides Of Eddie Cochran (1974)
- 20th Anniversary Album (March 1980)
- The Best Of Eddie Cohran Liberty-EMI U.K. (1985) (The mono 16 track LP/cassette is from the Rock 'N' Roll Masters series.)
- The Very Best of Eddie Cochran (June 2008)
- Eddie Cochran Story (6 July 2009)