A Tribute to Joe Cocker December 22 2014

Joe Cocker died last night. I feel the need to say a few things about him. He was one of the icons for my time, and I had the privilege to know him. He was friends with my brother in the eighties, beginning when he moved to Santa Barbara and was my brother's neighbor.

He was one of the shyest people I ever met, and it was hard to believe, when we were face to face, that he was the same man as the dynamic singer that I had seen onstage. When I first met him, he had not performed in awhile, and he and my brother liked to backpack together. Over the years, we watched him make his great comeback, and sometimes went to his shows and enjoyed going backstage to see him after his fabulous performances.

When my son was a teenager, one of our favorite things to do together was to go to his shows. He was a thrilling performer, and was always accompanied by the best musicians. Just being in the audience was amazing. People loved Joe. He was so vulnerable, and able to convey such feeling and humanity when he sang. I will always be grateful to have known him.

I always believed that music was ging to change the world, but what I have seen over the years is that more often than not the world changed the musicians.

Now I'm going to pour myself a cup of my new blend, called Tuber Tonic, and allow it to work it's magic on me, maybe work on a jigsaw puzzle, listen to Joe's music, and appreciate all those in my life who are still alive. The thing about puzzles is that the pieces actually fit together, as opposed to life, where they don't always seem to.

I have come to envisioning those who have passed from this life in a big meadow filled with sunshine, playing music, or doing what they would do at an outdoor concert. I'm sure that the crowd at the concert will be welcoming Joe when he arrives today.