CLASS RACER FORUM - Musical Tastes

Remembering singer, guitarist, and composer Eddie Cochran who was born on this date October 3, 1938 in Albert Lea, MN.
Cochran's family moved to Bell Gardens, California, in 1952. As his guitar playing improved, he formed a band with two friends from his junior high school. He dropped out of Bell Gardens High School in his first year to become a professional musician.
During a show featuring many performers at an American Legion hall, he met Hank Cochran, a songwriter. Although they were not related, they recorded as the Cochran Brothers and began performing together. They recorded a few singles for Ekko Records that were fairly successful and helped to establish them as a performing act. Eddie Cochran also worked as a session musician and began writing songs, making a demo with Jerry Capehart, his future manager.
In July 1956, Eddie Cochran's first "solo artist" single was released by Crest Records called "Skinny Jim". . In the spring of 1956, Cochran was asked if he would appear in the musical comedy film "The Girl Can't Help It". Cochran agreed and performed the song "Twenty Flight Rock" in the movie.
In 1957 Cochran starred in his second film, "Untamed Youth", and he had yet another hit, "Sittin' in the Balcony", one of the few songs he recorded that was written by other songwriters (in this case John D. Loudermilk).
In the Summer of 1957 Liberty Records issued Cochran's only studio album released during his lifetime, "Singin' to My Baby".
In 1958, Cochran wrote the "teenage anthem" "Summertime Blues" (co-written with Jerry Capehart). The song, released by Liberty recording no. 55144, charted at number 8 in 1958. Cochran's brief career included a few more hits, such as "C'mon, Everybody", "Somethin' Else", "Teenage Heaven", and "Three Steps to Heaven".
Another aspect of Cochran's short but brilliant career is his work as backup musician and producer. In 1959 he played lead for Skeets McDonald at Columbia's studios for "You Oughta See Grandma Rock" and "Heart Breaking Mama". In a session for Gene Vincent in March 1958, he contributed his trademark bass voice, as heard on "Summertime Blues". The recordings were issued on the album "A Gene Vincent Record Date".
Cochran's career was cut short April 17, 1960, when he died from injuries sustained in a car accident in Bath, England where he was touring. He was 21.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTpxJC4AAJ0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdWwmiOWNEQ