Jackie Lee Cochran

Jackie Lee Cochran (born Jack Cochran February 5, 1934 in Dalton , Georgia , † March 15, 1998 in California ) was an American rockabilly musician. His nickname was " Jack the Cat ".

Life

Childhood and youth

Cochran had a twin brother who died at the age of two. His father gave him a guitar for his sixth birthday . His parents Luther and Jean were not a happy marriage, his father was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder, so Cochran often spent his childhood and adolescence with relatives in Louisiana , Meridian , Mississippi and with his grandmother in Gadsden , Alabama . Cochran's father was pardoned after twelve years and then emigrated to Jamaica .

Career

In Gadsden, Cochran first made contact with the local music scene, which his grandmother disliked because she wanted to place her grandson in the military. So she urged Cochran to join the US Air Force . Based in San Antonio , Cochran traveled to Abilene every weekend to appear on Slim Willet's radio show . His appearances there brought him the attention of the management of the KRLD Big D Jamborees . Shortly thereafter, he became a member of the Big D Jamboree. When he was transferred to Selma, Alabama, he founded the country band The Flying C Ranch Boys , with whom he performed in bars and pubs as well as on the radio station WBAM. After his discharge from the Air Force in 1955, Cochran became a member of Jimmy Swan's band in Hattiesburg . When Cochran performed in New Orleans with the young Elvis Presley , he immediately switched to rockabilly.

Cochran hired the manager Pat O'Donnell, who built the image of "Jack the Cat" around Cochran. Through O'Donnell, Cochran got a record deal with Sims Records. His first single, Riverside Jump on the A-side and Hip Shakin 'Mama on the B-side, came out in June 1956. After further appearances on the Big D Jamboree, he received a request from the Spade Cooley Show in California to perform there. Against his manager's wishes, Cochran moved to the west coast and appeared there on the Spade Cooley Show. Through the agency of "Uncle" Art Satherley, he received a contract with Decca Records for Cochran . His title Ruby Pearl sold well and nearly hit the Billboard charts , but his former manager had his contract with Decca canceled. Decca also dropped the single, to the bad luck of Cochran.

After a brief stint at Viv Records, Cochran began working for the Douglas Aircraft Company. He had given up music for the time being. But after he released a single on Jaguar Records, he made appearances again and as a result of the rockabilly revival in the 1970s, Cochran gained undreamt-of popularity. In 1973 he released an album on Ronnie Weiser's Rollin 'Rock Records and played in Norway for the first time in 1981 . Other appearances in Europe followed , especially in England . At the same time, Cochran recorded other albums.

Jackie Lee Cochran died on March 15, 1998 in his California apartment at the age of 64.

Discography

Singles

year	title	Record company
1956	Riverside Jump / Hip Shakin 'Mama	Sims Records
1957	Ruby Pearl / Mama Don't You Think I Know	Decca Records
1958	I want you / buy a car	Viv Records
1958	I want you / buy a car	Avalon Records
1958	I want you / buy a car	ABC Paramount Records
1958	Pity Me / Endless Love	Spry Records
1959	I Wanna See You / Georgia Lee Brown	Jaguar Records
	Baby Thu Dear mom and dad Don't be long Out across the tracks	not published

Albums

• 1973: Swamp Fow
• 1980: Rockabilly Legend
• 1981: The Lonesome Drifter (UK)
• 1985: Fiddle Fit Man (UK)
• 1993: Jack the Cat (D)
• 1993: Jack the Cat (UK)
• 1997: Rockabilly Music
• 2005: The 1985 Session (UK)

Web links

• Jackie Lee Cochran at Allmusic (English)
• Discography with audio samples