Eddie Cochran

When rock 'n' roll exploded across America in 1956, there was an immediate demand for young white rockers cast in the mould of rock's great progenitor, Elvis Presley, whose dynamic fusion of hillbilly and r&b had revolutionised post-war music within the space of a few months. Eddie Cochran had the looks, talent and ambition to make him a prime contender. When Cochran died at 21, he was only beginning to realise ambitions which went far beyond the scope of most of his contemporaries in terms of studio activity. He was not merely a singer and a talented guitarist and songwriter, he was also an arranger and A & R man. Moreover, considering him only as a singer-songwriter, if some of his records seem a little slick now, the wit of his running commentary on teenage life, seen from within, puts him only a couple of notches below Chuck Berry. (Rob Finnis)