Jarvis Cocker Biography

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Biography Jarvis Cocker

Jarvis Branson Cocker (born 19 September, 1963, in Sheffield, England) is an English Britpop musician, best known for fronting the band Pulp.

Pulp

Cocker founded "Arabacus Pulp" (named after a tradeable commodity seen by Cocker in an economics class) at the age of 15 while he was still at The City School. After numerous line-up changes, and a shortening of the name to just "Pulp", they eventually found fame in the 1990s with the success of the albums His 'n' Hers (1994) and Different Class (1995).

Cocker invaded the stage at the 1996 BRIT Awards in a spur of the moment protest against Michael Jackson's performance. Jackson performed surrounded by children and a rabbi, while making 'Christ-like' poses and performing his then-recent hit, "Earth Song". Cocker and his friend Peter Mansell (a former Pulp member) performed an impromptu stage invasion in protest. In the ensuing confusion, as others attempted to eject Cocker from the stage, three child performers received minor injuries.

Cocker was later detained and interviewed by the police on suspicion of assault. He was subsequently released without charge. Opinions from the press on Cocker's actions were mixed. The March 2, 1996, edition of Melody Maker, for example, suggested Cocker should be knighted, while Cocker's friend Noel Gallagher, of Oasis fame claimed "Jarvis Cocker is a star and he should be given an MBE". Gallagher is also quoted as saying of Jackson's behaviour "For Michael Jackson to come over to this country after what's all gone on - and I think we all know what I'm talking about here - to dress in a white robe, right, thinking he's the Messiah - I mean who does he think he is? Me?"Noel Gallagher interviewed by Chris Evans on TFI Friday, 1996 However, other journalists and the organisers of the BRIT Awards were outraged by Cocker's behavior. In response to the ensuing media scrutiny of the action, Cocker responded, "My actions were a form of protest at the way Michael Jackson sees himself as some kind of Christ-like figure with the power of healing... I just ran on the stage... I didn't make any contact with anyone as far as I recall."http://www.mlp.cz/space/opatrilp/Pulp/the_Brits_96.html

The resulting press attention saw the band's record sales soar and a waxwork statue of Jarvis Cocker, which costs £30,000, was placed in Rock Circus, London. As well, Cocker became a hero for a generation of young Brits who were disillusioned with the media circuses so prevalent in the pop music scene during the mid-90s, such as the alleged feud between Oasis and Blur.

Cocker is also renowned for his wit and observations of the cultural scene. He was a frequent guest on TV shows in the 1990s, as well as hosting an arts series for the BBC - "Journeys into the Outside". Here he took a trip across the globe, meeting so-called "outsider artists", meeting people who create wacky and wonderful works of art and trying to understand what compels them to do so. Cocker's penchant for TV appearances was reflected in a song parody of Common People (Showbiz People) which featured on the satirical comedy show Spitting Image in 1996.

Cocker sang a duet, Ciao!, with Miki Berenyi on British shoegazing band Lush's 1996 album Lovelife.

He co-wrote several songs ("Walk Like A Panther", "1st Man in Space", "Drive Safely Darlin'", "Stars On Sunday", and "Happy Birthday Nicola") on The All Seeing I's album Pickled Eggs & Sherbet, released in 1999. He contributed lead vocals to "Drive Safely Darlin'". He also performed live with The All Seeing I on Top Of The Pops singing 'Walk Like A Panther' in place of Tony Christie who sang on the recorded version.

Pulp released two more albums (This Is Hardcore and We Love Life) to critical acclaim, though neither achieved the commercial success of Different Class. After releasing a greatest hits album the band are now on hiatus.

In 2001 he contributed "Everbody Loves The Underdog" to the soundtrack for England Manager.

Jarvis played live most recently August 2007 on the Oyster stage, at the 3-day "Connect" Festival in the grounds of Inverary Castle in Argyll, Scotland and on the first of September at the Electric Picnic Boutique Festival in Laois, Ireland, where he and his band closed their set with a cover of The Boys Are Back in Town by Irish rock group Thin Lizzy.

Post-Pulp

Cocker has also directed some music videos, most notably On by Aphex Twin, Sudden Rush by Erlend Øye and Aftermath by Nightmares on Wax. He also made a very brief appearance in the music video for A Little More For Little You by Swedish rockers, The Hives.

He re-emerged in 2003 to promote a new album, under the pseudonym "Darren Spooner", for his new band Relaxed Muscle. Also in 2003, he appeared on the Richard X album Richard X Presents His X-Factor Vol. 1. 2004 then brought Cocker briefly back into the limelight with two collaborations with Nancy Sinatra on her new album, as well as a collaboration with Marianne Faithfull on her album Kissin' Time, with the song "Sliding through Life on Charm."

In 2005 Jarvis Cocker co-wrote three tracks ("La Degustation", "Basque Country" and "Fred de Fred") on French Sheffield-based electronic duo The Lovers' self-titled debut album. He has also contributed to the soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, writing and performing three Electro tracks entitled "This is the Night", "Do The Hippogriff" and "Magic Works". According to J. K. Rowling these songs should have been made in the style of early rock'n'roll but Jarvis made Electro songs for unknown reason. He appeared briefly in the film as lead singer of a highly popular early wizard rock'n'roll band the Weird Sisters (unnamed in the film owing to a legal scuffle with real-life group the Wyrd Sisters). According to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this band should have just played music but not sing. The fictitious group also featured Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway from Radiohead, Steve Mackey from Pulp, Jason Buckle from Relaxed Muscle and Steve Claydon from Add N to . . Jarvis Cocker singing his Electro song 'Do the Hippogriff' at the Hogwarts Yule Ball.]]That same year he also covered "I Can't Forget" by Leonard Cohen as part of the tribute show for the film I'm Your Man.

In 2006 Cocker appeared on albums Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited (song "I Just Came to Tell You That I'm Going", co-performed with Kid Loco) and Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys (song "A Drop of Nelson's Blood"). His song "Running the World" appeared over the closing credits of the film Children of Men. Also in 2006, along with Steve Mackey, he 'curated' the 2-CD Compilation, The Trip, which featured a wide selection of tracks by artists as varied as The Fall, Gene Pitney, The Beach Boys, and The Polecats. He also co-wrote lyrics on the Charlotte Gainsbourg album 55, with Neil Hannon and members of Air. On October 12th 2006, a fictional Jarvis Cocker was a lead character in a drama on BBC Radio 2, as part of their 'Imagine' competition. through its paces during the opening week of the 2005 Venice Bienniale]]

Jarvis Cocker is now following a solo career ? his debut album, Jarvis, came out in the UK on November 13, 2006. In March 2007 he appeared on French band Air's new album Pocket Symphony.

On Valentine's Day 2007, he was chosen to give the award for Best British Newcomer (awarded to the Fratellis) at the Brit Awards.

Jarvis and Beth Ditto (The Gossip) recently collaborated on a cover version of the classic 80s track Temptation by Heaven 17 at the NME Awards in London.

Jarvis curated this year's Meltdown Festival at the South Bank Centre in London this June. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2024716,00.html

Personal life

Cocker's father, Mack Cocker, a DJ and actor, left the family and moved to Sydney, Australia when Jarvis was seven and had no contact with him or his sister thereafter, leaving them to be brought up by their mother, now a Tory councillor in Sheffield.Jarvis Cocker credits his upbringing almost exclusively in female company for his interest in how women think and what they have to say. He wrote a song ("A Little Soul" on This Is Hardcore (1998)) about being abandoned by his father, and in 1998 travelled with his sister to Australia to meet him for the first time in nearly 30 years. Mack Cocker had a successful radio DJ career with Triple J in Sydney in the eighties, and did not counter a common impression there that he was Joe Cocker's brother (despite both being from Sheffield, they are not related in any way). By the time of Jarvis Cocker's visit, Mack Cocker had moved to hippie commune in Darwin, Northern Territory. Jarvis says he has forgiven his father for abandoning them. "I don't feel any bitterness towards him at all. I feel sorry for him." "Jarvis Cocker: Lone star." Interview by Hermione Eyre with Jarvis Cocker. The Independent, London, 23 December 2006. "Jarvis Gets Real." Interview with Jarvis Cocker by Giny Dougary. The Times Magazine, London, 16 March 2002.

Cocker has lived in Paris since 2003, with his wife, Camille Bidault-Waddington, and his son, Albert. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,2099249,00.html