Fifty years ago today, the world lost one of Rock & Roll’s great pioneers of sound, songwriting and guitar playing in a tragic car crash– Eddie Cochran. The list of those that Cochran has influenced reads like a who’s who of Rock royalty; and includes everyone from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, and Hendrix– to the Clash, the Sex Pistols, the Stray Cats, and many more.
1959, CA ~ The legendary Eddie Cochran ~ Image by © Michael Ochs Archives
Gretsch Custom Shop G6120EC Eddie Cochran Tribute Model
Eddie Cochran
1959, Los Angeles, CA ~ Rockabilly singer Eddie Cochran and his fiancee, songwriter Sharon Sheeley, shop for records in a Los Angeles music store in the late 1950s. ~ Image by © Douglas Kirkland
Eddie Cochran “Summertime Blues”
1960~ Eddie Cochran & Gene Vincent
Eddie Cochran
Gene Vincent, Joe Brown, Billy Fury, and Eddie Cochran.
Eddie Cochran
The Selvedge Yard 
Gene Vincent, Duane Eddy, Link Wray and Eddie Cochran, when Rock & Roll was fun…
One of my heroes when I was a Teddy Boy in England in the late 70s. I have that Eddie Cochran Memorial Album (the one with the b&w drawn portrait of him on the cover) and it’s a prized possession. I still remember being amazed by the sheer thunking weight of Somethin’ Else, and it still sounds fantastically weighty today. What a great sound. Thanks for the post.
Mick,
You’re so right.
That sound is legendary and still emulated across many musical genres.
Thank you for introducing me to Gram Parsons, next i’ll be checking out Eddie Cochran.
I really look forward to finding more awesome music & people whenever I check out your site!
Cheers
Not only was the man beautifully put together, but so was his vintage Gretsch!!
No doubt, I’d love to get my hands on one of them there Gretsch signature models….
Good one & Great Photos ~ Eddie always on my list as one of the Absolute Real Rockers..
Cheers Federico
now it is time (long over due) fo ra post on the LEGEND…Chuck Berry. Sorry, I get jealous when someone talks about rock N roll and doesn’t at least devote 1/3 of their written word to Chuck . HA, no hard feelings of course.
Is it just my imagination that his pompadour gets bigger and greasier as the years went by??? The ONLY good thing about dieing young is that you are forever young in peoples’ minds…and on the other hand is Keith Richards!
He was “something else”.
Great Blog! But more pics needed. Ha ha ha! The pics are an incredible experience. More would be better. Many more!
One of my all time rock n’ roll heros. Lot’s of pix I’ve never seen. Cool!
Hey, not sure it’s “blog pc” or not, but here’s a GREAT link I check daily for my downloading fix. Ton’s of Eddie on that gem as well. Hope you guys get as much enjoyment from this link as I do. I support rare and old Vinyl Rips 100%, some people may not. cheers. -matt
unclegil.blogspot.com
cat’s out.
good hair
Gene and Eddie!
I shared time with this gal from Blighty several years ago…the true authentic product of UK Rocker parents. She summed it up for me in a few words “Its about Gene Vincent! Not Elvis”. For a true rocker this die young and leave a greasy corps attitude is at the core of these rockin’ cats. I add, motorcycle boots, not white bucks.
The raw reckless and desperate emotion these cats put out is untouchable. Gene and Eddie bridged the gap from the 50’s to 60’s without losing any flair. Columbia 50’s recordings or Challenge 60’s recording are rough and tough through and through.
Thanks for the tribute to a true Rockabilly legend and bonus points for the flick of my hero Billy Fury.
All killer brother! keep em comin’
-ontovictory
Just bought “Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie” original 45 on Liberty at the Ann Arbor record fair on Sunday. He was a true talent and a great performer! Unfortunately, some of his best guitar playing resides on other peoples records as a session player. He never seems to cut loose and get crazy on most of his own recordings. Listen to him wail on the two sider by Skeets McDonald “You Oughta See Grandma Rock”/”Heart Breakin’ Mama”…just killer! You can see all of his session listings here:
http://www.eddiecochran.info/Index.html
When I lived in London in the mid 70’s there was a fairly well known story that on the anniversary of Eddie’s death,a group of old teds would track down the lorry driver responsible for the fatal car accident…and beat the crap out of him.Myth or truth,I don’t know but British music fans worshipped Eddie so you decide.How Hollywood has seemingly never thought the life and tragic death of a bonafide music legend would make a great bio pic escapes me.R.I.P.
As long as we’re talking about dead musicians from the 50s and 60s, how about a post on the incomparable Bobby Darin?
Ah the 6120 Chet Atkins, a truly great guitar.
I love the fact that Cochran stuck one of Gibson’s p90’s in the neck of his helped give the guitar a different tone to all other 6120’s. The really early fixed arm Bigsby that was on his is a thing of beauty too.
Oh and the sound he used to make!
As a musician myself with records out in Canada dating back to the sixties,I owe so much to Eddie Cochran and the likes of Buddy Holly. As many of my musican friends
all got their start from their driving guitar and wonderful voices, that has inspired so many. But, with so much fame and fortune there is always a dear price to pay. That of coarse, being their lives.
They were here and then gone in a heart beat. What they left is eternal and will never be forgotten……God Bless Rock and Roll.