Paul McCartney Urges Rock Hall of Fame to Induct Joe Cocker

Paul McCartney wants Joe Cocker in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. On Monday, publicist Bob Merlis shared a scanning of a Feb. 25-dated letter from McCartney urging that the English musician be inducted into the organization.

“Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances,” McCartney wrote in the letter. “He sang one of our songs With a Little Help from My Friends, a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative.”

McCartney ended his note by writing: “And whilst he 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.”

Cocker, who was behind hits such as “Up Where We Belong” with Jennifer Warnes, “You Are So Beautiful,” and Beatles cover “With a Little Help From My Friends,” died in 2014 at 70 years old. In his note to the press on Monday, Merlis wrote that McCartney “caught wind” of the efforts to induct Cocker. “Just this morning the letter you see below showed up and it’s quite apparent that he’s more than OK with our sharing it. We urge you to do the same,” Merlis wrote.

This isn’t the first time that McCartney — twice-inducted as a Beatle in 1988 and as a soloist in 1999 — voiced his Hall of Fame favorites. Last year, he endorsed Foreigner; the band was inducted in October alongside Cher and Dionne Warwick.

Cocker is one of the more than a dozen artists who are nominated for induction this year, including Cyndi Lauper, the White Stripes, Oasis, Outkast, Billy Idol, and Maná, the first Spanish-language band to be up for the honor. The ceremony is scheduled for sometime this fall, although a set date has yet to be announced.