Eddie Cochran

[Eccles]

One of the greatest Rock 'n' Roll artists of all time

Bit OTT that given he hadn't really been around long enough to establish himself properly. Canniest maybe but never greatest.

[Epping]

Bit of Jonny Hallyday

[Hillbilly Black Cat]

Originally Posted by Eccles

Bit OTT that given he hadn't really been around long enough to establish himself properly. Canniest maybe but never greatest.

I disagree strongly. I think Cochran was around long enough. He wrote at least 2 of the greatest Rock 'n' Roll anthems of all time with Summertime Blues and C'mon Everybody and had a big hand - although never got credit for it - in writing Somethin' Else. There's three songs pretty much everybody knows, right up there with Blue Suede Shoes and Rock Around The Clock.

Add to that absolute stonkers like 20 Flight Rock, Nervous Breakdown, My Way, Weekend, and you're looking at an artist that heavily influenced The Beatles, The Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Marc Bolan, The Who and a whole host of 60s artists that took his influence and ran with it to create and further different styles of Rock music. Cochran was a proper musician and that shows with the amount of artists over the years that site him as a major influence.

Cochran also introduced Ray Charles music to the masses over here on that fateful tour of 1960 by performing What'd I Say on national radio and his live shows, and his current release at the time, a cover of Charles' Hallelujah I Love Her So. I've often thought Cochran was the first Rock 'n' Roller of substance that could perform the Blues accurately and with the proper amount of authenticity. Listen out for Eddie's Blues and Milkcow Blues. Just magnificent stuff.

Its just a damn shame he didn't live long enough to see how important his music was to so many people.

[chriswallace85]

Stick Zeppelin in that list anarl HBC. They loved him.