My Favorite Flashback – Today’s feature, Eddie Cochran

Eddie Cochran sang directly to the American teen over his thick guitar sound. While his career and life were tragically cut short, his influence on rock music is everlasting.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Edward Ray Cochran  (October 3, 1938 – April 17, 1960) was an American musician. Cochran’s rockabilly songs, such as “Twenty Flight Rock“, “Summertime Blues“, “C’mon Everybody” and “Somethin’ Else“, captured teenage frustration and desire in the mid-1950s and early 1960s. He played the guitar, piano, bass, and drums.^[1] His image as a sharply dressed and good-looking young man with a rebellious attitude epitomized the stance of the 1950s rocker, and in death he achieved an iconic status.^[3]

Eddie began a songwriting career with Jerry Capehart. His first success came when he performed the song “Twenty Flight Rock” in the film The Girl Can’t Help It, starring Jayne Mansfield. Soon afterwards, he signed a recording contract with Liberty Records.

Cochran died at age 21 after a road accident, while travelling in a taxi in Chippenham, Wiltshire, during his British tour in April 1960, having just performed at Bristol’s Hippodrome theatre. Though his best-known songs were released during his lifetime, more of his songs were released posthumously. In 1987, Cochran was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. His songs have been recorded by a wide variety of recording artists.

“Summertime Blues” is a song co-written and recorded by American rockabilly artist Eddie Cochran.^[2] It was written by Cochran and his manager Jerry Capehart. Originally a single B-side, it was released in August 1958^[1] and peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 29, 1958 and number 18 on the UK Singles Chart. It has been covered by many artists, including being a number-one hit for country music artist Alan Jackson, and scoring notable hits in versions by The Who, Blue Cheer and Brian Setzer, the latter of whom recorded his version for the 1987 film La Bamba, where he portrayed Cochran. Jimi Hendrix performed it in concert.

Enjoy…