The late Joe Cocker was one of the artists chosen for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year, and his family is happy to see him finally recognized.
Cocker, who passed away in 2014, has been eligible for the Rock Hall for over 30 years and got in on his first nomination. His widow Pam Cocker tells Billboard his induction is something the family has been waiting for.
“I voted every day and watched his standing on the fan vote,” she says. “‘Long overdue’ — those were my daughter’s first words when we heard the news.”
She adds that the “Up Where We Belong” singer, “wasn’t obsessed with the fact he wasn’t in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, he did want it. But he didn’t prioritize it,” adding, “He was always surprised at what other people were not in it more than himself.’
Cocker’s brother Victor adds that he was “quite thrilled” that his brother has gotten in.
“It’s an important piece of recognition for Joe, I think. I think he would have been really delighted about it, so I’m really pleased,” he says. “And of course he grew up in that age where the first generation of members of the Hall of Fame were his heroes; he was part of the second wave, so to be recognized there with his heroes and those of the second wave — like the Beatles, who he knew, and so on — would’ve delighted him.”
The 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction is happening Nov. 8 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles and will stream live on Disney+. A highlights special will air on ABC at a later date and stream on Hulu the next day.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
