This Day In Music: April 17: The Rock-N-Roll Legends

By: Jessica L. Zambito

Eddie Cochran is one of the most influential and memorable pioneers in Rock-N-Roll
History. Cochran was a young and vivacious American rocker, with a guitar shaped heart that
bled edgy melodies of Rock-N-Roll. The musicians career abruptly ended when he lost his life
in a tragic automobile accident at the devastatingly young age of 21.
It was the afternoon of April 17, 1960, when Cochran was riding passenger in a cab while
en route to a London Airport. At the time Cochran was touring in the UK with tour-mate Gene
Vincent, one of his fellow American Rockers. The duo performed a final show at a venue in
Bristol, England before ending their tour in the UK and heading back to the states. Cochran and
Vincent were accompanied by Sharon Seeley, Cochrans finance, and their tour manager Patrick
Thompkins. The Ford Consul cab which carried the musicians, tour manager, and Cochrans
fianc, reached an approximated 60 mph just before the driver lost complete control of the
vehicle. The taxi slammed into a light post, immediately rejecting Cochran from the vehicle.
Cochran sustained major head injuries and was shortly pronounced dead a few hours after the
crash. The others in the vehicle suffered from injuries as well, but luckily survived the accident.
Even though Cochran released only one album before his career ended, ironically it was
just enough to leave an enormous impact on Rock-N-Roll culture. His rebellious, yet
charismatic personality attracted audiences and fans of various ages. However, it wasnt his
stunning physique that captured the attention of fellow musicians at the time. According to the
Rock-N-Roll Hall of Fame, Cochran was rocks first high-energy guitar hero, in addition to
being an expert in bass, piano and drums. One of Cochrans famous singles, Twenty Flight
Rock, was the song Paul McCartney taught to future band-mate John Lennon at their first
official meeting together.
Cochrans unique approach towards Rock-N-Roll music was quite different than the
other American Rockers at the time. Together he implemented the harmonies and sounds of
blues, country and rock, creating notorious and edgy teenage anthems.
So, just how influential was this short-lived 21 year old American Rocker? Bands and
artists such as; The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin and
The White Stripes, have all recorded and performed covers of Cochrans hits. Cochrans soul
continues to live on through his legendary and iconic music.
Fast forward 31 years later to a much more enlightening moment in Rock-N-Roll History.
On April 17, 1991, Nirvana first debuted and performed their single, Smells Like Teen Spirit
at the OK Hotel in Seattle, Washington. Nirvana ended the show with their first live
performance of the 90s teenage Punk-rock anthem, Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Nirvanas head bobbing, hair shaking single was the first song to achieve remarkable
success in the Alternative Rock genre of music. This alternative jam sparked the beginning of
the grunge trend consisting of misfit non-conformists who dressed in cut-up flannels and
rocked out on flashy guitars. The song took the alternative genre to an entirely new level,
straying away from the mainstream 80s pop-scene. This newly established genre brought back
the hard rock music scene, which seemed to quietly dwindle down after the late 70s. It is Rock-
N-Roll legends like Eddie Cochran and Nirvana that inspire the future generations of Rock-N-
Roll.
http://rockhall.com/inductees/eddie-cochran/bio/
http://www.shmoop.com/smells-like-teen-spirit/meaning.html
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jul/19/popandrock.nirvana
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/eddie-cochran-dies-and-gene-vincent-is-
injured-in-a-uk-car-accident