Lung cancer has silenced one of the most unique and recognizable voices in Rock history.  Joe Cocker, the husky, gravel voiced vocalist that worked his way from the pubs of Sheffield to the stage of Woodstock and a career that included one of the wildest tours ever staged and an appearance that ranks as one of the best moments ever on Saturday Night Live, passed away Sunday night (12/21) after a long battle with lung cancer.  The singer's agent released the news today, saying that with '...the heaviest hearts we heard that our beloved Joe Cocker passed away last night.'  Accolades for Cocker emerged immediately from many of his contemporaries.  Paul McCartney credited Cocker as a lovely guy that '...brought so much to the world.'  Aerosmith's Steven Tyler tweeted of Cocker 'We loved you forever, we will miss you always.'  Cocker's 1970 Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour produced one of the best live albums of the decade, and was well documented in a Rockumentary that captured much of the spontaneous wildness of the trek.  His SNL appearance, which featured John Belushi in a parody duet with Cocker, ranks as one of the all time classics from the show.  Cocker wrote very little, but was perhaps the greatest interpreter of other writer's songs the world will ever hear. Cocker's rendition of the Beatles With A Little Help From My Friends was a highlight of the Woodstock festival. McCartney marveled that Cocker managed to turn the track from the Sgt. Pepper album into a 'soul anthem'.

BBC.com