Joe Cocker was born John Robert Cocker in the Crookes area of Sheffield, England, on May 20, 1944. He was the last child for Harold and Madge Cocker and his father worked as a civil servant. Cocker played with a group called the Cavaliers as a teen before leaving school to work as a gasfitter. From 1961 to 1963, Cocker gained local experience opening shows for the likes of the Rolling Stones with a group called Vance Arnold and the Avengers. He had his first taste of chart success in 1964 with his cover of the Beatles’ “I’ll Cry Instead.” In Peter Buckley’s “Rough Guide to Rock,” Cocker says that from the start he enhanced his standout vocals with onstage flair: “I’ve always done me little theatricality bit of throwing me arms about with the music,” he said.Cocker broke through to international success with his hit cover of the Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends.” That track topped the U.K. songs chart and brought Cocker onto the U.S. charts for the first time.