2014 news

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

Singer Joe Cocker dies

British-born singer Joe Cocker has died after a battle with lung cancer

Cocker, 70, had hits with "You are So Beautiful" and "Up Where We Belong"

Cocker performed "With a Little Help From My Friends" at Woodstock

(CNN) -- Joe Cocker, the British blues-rock singer whose raspy voice brought plaintive soul to such hits as "You Are So Beautiful" and the duet "Up Where We Belong," died Monday after a battle with lung cancer. He was 70.

Cocker's performing career spanned some 50 years, from Woodstock, where he sang the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends," to the digital-music era. He had tour dates scheduled well into 2015.

"Goodbye and God bless to Joe Cocker from one of his friends peace and love," tweeted Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

Cocker began as a singer in England at the same time as the Beatles, with whom he was often linked. He played pubs across the country in a series of rock bands before he and his Grease Band recorded "With a Little Help From My Friends" in 1968 with Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood and others.

British blues-rock singer Joe Cocker, seen here in 1969, was a hugely popular entertainer in his late-'60s and early-'70s heyday. Cocker died Monday at age 70 after a battle with lung cancer.

Born in Sheffield, Cocker got his start singing in pubs across England. Here he's performing at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1969.

Cocker, wearing a tie-dyed shirt and blue jeans, sang the Beatles' "With a Little Help From My Friends" at Woodstock in 1969. It helped launch his career in the U.S.

Cocker, seen here in 1970, was known for flailing his arms onstage as he sang. John Belushi once parodied him on "Saturday Night Live."

Cocker and his friend Eileen Webster arriving at Los Angeles airport in 1972. His live album, "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," was a big hit in the early '70s.

Cocker takes a swig of whiskey during a performance while on tour in Australia. His career nearly derailed over his use of drugs and alcohol in the 1970s.

Cocker at A&M Records in the late 1970s, after his "You Are So Beautiful" became a top-five hit.

Cocker performs onstage at Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, in 1987.

Blues legend John Lee Hooker, center, with Cocker in 1990.

Cocker is pictured outside Buckingham Palace in 2007 after collecting his MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for services to music.

Cocker performs during the "Hard Knocks Tour" at Auditorium Parco Della Musica on July 27, 2011 in Rome, Italy.

Cocker reacts after receiving a lifetime achievement award during the 48th Golden Camera awards ceremony in Berlin on February 2, 2013.

Joe Cocker: From Woodstock to digital music

Click through to see people who died in 2014.

British rocker Joe Cocker died Monday, December 22, after a battle with lung cancer, Sony Music said in a statement. He was 70.

Norman Bridwell, the creator of "Clifford the Big Red Dog," has died, according to his publisher, Scholastic. Bridwell died December 12 in Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. He was 86.

Legendary photographer Michel du Cille, a 26-year veteran of The Washington Post, died Thursday, December 11, while on assignment in Liberia. The Post said du Cille, 58, collapsed "during a strenuous hike on the way back from a village" affected by the African country's Ebola outbreak.

Mary Ann Mobley, the first Miss America from Mississippi, who turned that achievement into a movie career, has died after battling breast cancer. She was 77.

Ken Weatherwax, who played Pugsley on the 1960s TV show "The Addams Family," died December 7, according to the Ventura County Coroner's Office. He was 59.

Ian McLagan, a fun-loving keyboardist who played on records by such artists as the Rolling Stones, Lucinda Williams, Bruce Springsteen and his own bands -- the Small Faces and its successor, the Faces -- died December 3, according to a statement from his record label, Yep Roc Records. He was 69.

American saxophonist Bobby Keys, who for years toured and recorded with the Rolling Stones, died on December 2. "The Rolling Stones are devastated by the loss of their very dear friend and legendary saxophone player, Bobby Keys," the band said on Twitter.

To the world, he was known as "Chespirito." Roberto Gomez Bolanos gained fame as a comedian, but he was also a writer, actor, screenwriter, songwriter, film director and TV producer. The legendary entertainer died November 28 at the age of 85.

British crime novelist P.D. James died November 27 at her home in Oxford, England. She was 94.

Lebanese singer and actress Sabah, one of the Arab world's most prolific entertainers with a career spanning more than six decades, died November 26, in Beirut, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported. She was 87.

Former Washington Mayor Marion Barry is dead at the age of 78, a hospital spokeswoman said on November 23. Barry was elected four times as the city's chief executive. He was once revered nationally as a symbol of African-American political leadership. But his professional accomplishments were often overshadowed by drug and personal scandals.

Acclaimed film director Mike Nichols died on November 19. Nichols, pictured here with his wife, journalist Diane Sawyer, was best known for his films "The Graduate," "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "The Birdcage." He was 83.

Jimmy Ruffin, silky-voiced singer of the Motown classic "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted," died November 19 in Las Vegas. He was 78.

'Knight Rider" and "Battlestar Galactica" producer Glen A. Larson passed away November 14 after a battle with cancer. He was 77.

Actress Carol Ann Susi, best known for voicing the unseen Mrs. Wolowitz on "The Big Bang Theory," died November 11. She was 62.

Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, a member of the hip-hop group the Sugarhill Gang, died November 11 of complications from cancer. He was 55.

Tom Magliozzi, left, half of the "Click and Clack" team of brothers who hosted NPR's "Car Talk" radio show, died November 3. He was 77.

"House of Cards" actress Elizabeth Norment passed away at the age of 61, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed October 28 via Norment's sister Kate. According to the star's obituary in The Washington Post, Norment died of cancer on October 13 at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York.

Jack Bruce, bassist for the legendary 1960s rock band Cream, died October 25 at age 71.

Ben Bradlee, the zestful, charismatic Washington Post editor who guided the paper through the era of the Pentagon Papers and Watergate and was immortalized on screen in "All the President's Men," died on October 21. He was 93.

Fashion designer Oscar de la Renta died on October 20, close friends of the family and industry colleagues told CNN. He was 82.

"August: Osage County" actress Misty Upham was declared dead by a Washington coroner after her body was found along a river in suburban Seattle on October 16.

Actress Elizabeth Pena died October 14, according to her manager. She was 55.

Isaiah "Ikey" Owens, the keyboardist in Jack White's backing band, died October 14. The musician also played with bands such as Mars Volta and Free Moral Agents. He was 38.

Mark Bell, who founded the highly influential techno-music duo LFO and later collaborated with Bjork on several iconic albums, died of complications from a surgery, his record label said October 13.

Actress and comedian Jan Hooks died in New York on October 9. Her representative, Lisa Lieberman, confirmed the death to CNN but provided no additional information. According to IMDb.com, Hooks was 57.

Geoffrey Holder, a versatile artist known for his ability as a dancer, actor and a pitchman for 7Up, died from complications due to pneumonia, his family's attorney said on October 6. Holder was 84.

Paul Revere, leader of the 1960s rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders, died October 4 at his home in Idaho, according to the band's website. He was 76.

Emmy-winning actress Polly Bergen, whose TV and movie career spanned more than six decades, died on September 20, according to her publicist. She was 84, according to IMDb.com.

Singer George Hamilton IV, known as the "International Ambassador of Country Music," died at a Nashville hospital on September 17 following a heart attack, the Grand Ole Opry said in a press release. He was 77.

Northern Ireland's former first minister and former Democratic Unionist Party leader Ian Paisley has died, his wife, Eileen, said in a statement on September 12. He was 88.

Richard Kiel, the actor best known for playing the James Bond villain "Jaws," died September 10 at a California hospital, St. Agnes Medical Center spokeswoman Kelley Sanchez said. He was 74.

Joan Rivers, the sassy comedian whose gossipy "can we talk" persona catapulted her into a career as a headlining talk-show host, best-selling author and red-carpet maven, died September 4. She was 81.

Jimi Jamison, lead singer of the 1980s rock band Survivor, died at the age of 63, it was announced September 2.

Acclaimed actor-director Richard Attenborough died on August 24, the British Broadcasting Corporation reported, citing his son. Attenborough was 90.

Don Pardo, the man whose voice introduced the cast of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" for decades, died at the age of 96, the network announced August 19.

Skateboarding legend Jay Adams died of a heart attack August 14 while vacationing in Mexico with his wife. He was 53.

Ed Nelson, best known for playing a doctor in the 1960s nighttime soap opera "Peyton Place," died on August 13, his family said. He was 85.

Actress Arlene Martel, whom "Star Trek" fans knew as Spock's bride-to-be, died in a Los Angeles hospital August 12 after complications from a heart attack, her son said. Martel was 78.

Actress Lauren Bacall, the husky-voiced Hollywood icon known for her sultry sensuality, died on August 12. She was 89.

Actor and comedian Robin Williams died at his Northern California home on August 11. Williams apparently took his own life, law enforcement officials said. He was 63.

JJ Murphy, an actor who was set to join the "Game of Thrones" cast, died August 8, his agent said. He was 86.

Actor Charles Keating, who had been fighting lung cancer for several years, died on August 8, his son Sean Keating said. Charles Keating was known for his role of villain Carl Hutchins on the daytime drama "Another World." He was 72.

James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was severely wounded in a 1981 assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, has died, the White House said on August 4. He was 73. Later in the week, authorities told CNN they are investigating it as a homicide.

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk, the last crewman of the U.S. plane that dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945, died of natural causes on July 28, according to his daughter Vicki Triplett. He was 93.

James Shigeta, a prolific and pioneering Asian-American actor whose 50-year career included the movies "Die Hard" and "Flower Drum Song," died in his sleep in Los Angeles on July 28, his agent said. He was 81.

Skye McCole Bartusiak, who played Mel Gibson's youngest daughter in "The Patriot," died July 19, at her home in Houston, her mother said Sunday. She was 21. While investigators didn't immediately determine a cause of death, Bartusiak had been suffering from epileptic seizures, according to her mother.

James Garner, the understated, wisecracking everyman actor who enjoyed multigenerational success on both the small and big screens, died of natural causes on July 19. He was 86.

Broadway legend Elaine Stritch died July 17. According to her longtime friend Julie Keyes, Stritch died at her home in Birmingham, Michigan, surrounded by her family. She was 89 years old.

Blues guitarist and singer Johnny Winter died July 16 in a Swiss hotel room, his representative said. He was 70.

Nadine Gordimer, a South African author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, died on July 13, according to her family. She was 90.

Renowned conductor Lorin Maazel died from complications of pneumonia on July 13, according to his family. He was 84.

Grammy-winning jazz bassist Charlie Haden, whose music career spanned seven decades and several genres, died July 11, according to his publicist. He was 76.

Drummer Tommy Ramone, the last living original member of the pioneering punk band The Ramones, died on July 11, according to the band's Facebook page. He was 65.

Eileen Ford, who founded the Ford Model Agency 70 years ago, died July 9 at the age of 92, the company said.

Richard Percy Jones, the actor who gave Pinocchio his voice in the 1940 Disney movie, died at his California home on July 8. He was 87.

David Legeno, known for playing Fenrir Greyback in the "Harry Potter" movies, was found dead July 6, by hikers in a remote desert location in Death Valley, California. He was 50. "It appears that Legeno died of heat-related issues, but the Inyo County Coroner will determine the final cause of death," read a press release from the Inyo County Sheriff's Department. "There are no signs of foul play."

Rosemary Murphy, an Emmy Award-winning actress known for her roles in the movie "To Kill a Mockingbird" as well as TV soap operas "All My Children" and "Another World," died July 5 at the age of 89. The New York Times cited cancer as the cause of death.

Olympian and World War II hero Louis Zamperini, the subject of the book and upcoming film "Unbroken," died July 2 after a recent battle with pneumonia. The 97-year-old peacefully passed away in the presence of his entire family, according to a statement.

Walter Dean Myers, a beloved author of children's books, died on July 1 following a brief illness, according to the Children's Book Council.

Paul Mazursky, a five-time Oscar nominee who directed and wrote such films as "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice," "An Unmarried Woman" and "Down and Out in Beverly Hills," died at the age of 84, his agent said July 1.

Actor Meshach Taylor died June 28 at his Los Angeles-area home, his agent, Dede Binder, said. He was 67. Taylor had fought a terminal illness and faded markedly in recent days, Binder said. His wife, children, grandchildren and mother surrounded him as he passed away.

Legendary soul singer Bobby Womack died June 27, according to Womack's publicist. He was 70.

Character actor Eli Wallach, seen here in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," died on June 24, according to a family member who did not want to be named. Wallach was 98.

Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn died June 16 at the age of 54, according to a release from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Gwynn, who had 3,141 hits in 20 seasons with the San Diego Padres, had cancer.

Radio personality Casey Kasem died June 15. He was 82 and had been hospitalized in Washington state for two weeks.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll died June 13. He had suffered from Alzheimer's and heart disease. He was 82.

Ruby Dee, an award-winning actress whose seven-decade career included triumphs on stage and screen, died June 12. She was 91.

Former baseball star Bob Welch passed away on June 9 after suffering a heart attack, according to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was 57.

British actor and comedian Rik Mayall, who appeared in the TV series "Blackadder," died June 9 at the age of 56, his agent said. The cause of death was not immediately reported.

Chester Nez, the last of the original Navajo code talkers credited with creating an unbreakable code used during World War II, died June 5 at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Navajo Nation President said. Nez was 93.

Ann B. Davis, who played Alice the maid on "The Brady Bunch," died from a subdural hematoma on June 1. She was 88.

Maya Angelou, a renowned poet, novelist and actress, died at the age of 86, her literary agent said on May 28. Angelou was also a professor, singer and dancer whose work spanned several generations.

Australian racing legend Jack Brabham died on May 19, according to Brabham's son David. Brabham, 88, was a three-time Formula One world champion.

Malik Bendjelloul, the Oscar-winning director of "Searching for Sugar Man," died suddenly on May 13, police said. He was 36.

H.R. Giger, the Swiss surrealist artist whose works of sexual-industrial imagery and design of the eponymous creature in the "Alien" movies were known around the world, died on May 12. He was 74.

Former professional tennis player Elena Baltacha died at the age of 30 after losing her battle with liver cancer on May 4. Before retiring in November, she had reached a career high of 49th in the world rankings.

Al Feldstein, who guided Mad magazine for almost three decades as its editor, died on April 29, according to a Montana funeral home. He was 88.

Oscar-nominated British actor Bob Hoskins, known for roles in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and "Mona Lisa," died April 29 at age 71, his publicist said.

Hall of Fame basketball coach John "Dr. Jack" Ramsay, who became a television analyst years after winning a league championship with the Portland Trail Blazers, died on April 28, according to his longtime employer ESPN. Ramsay was 89.

Former Barcelona soccer coach Tito Vilanova, who had been battling cancer, died at the age of 45, the club announced April 25.

Country singer Kevin Sharp died from "complications due to cancer" on April 19, his mother told CNN. He was 43.

Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, the middleweight boxing contender who was wrongly convicted of a triple murder in New Jersey in the 1960s, died April 20 at the age of 76, according to Win Wahrer, the director of client services for the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the influential, Nobel Prize-winning author of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" and "Love in the Time of Cholera," passed away on April 17, his family and officials said. He was 87.

Jose Luis "Cheo" Feliciano, a giant of salsa music and a Puerto Rican legend, died in a car crash April 18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to police. He was 78.

Days after being inducted into World Wrestling Entertainment's Hall of Fame, WWE superstar Ultimate Warrior died April 8. Born James Hellwig, he legally changed his name to Warrior in 1993. He was 54.

Comedian John Pinette, 50, was found dead in a Pittsburgh hotel room on April 5. Pinette died of natural causes stemming from "a medical history he was being treated for," the medical examiner's spokesman said. An autopsy will not be done because his personal doctor signed the death certificate.

Mickey Rooney, who started as a child star in vaudeville and went on to star in hundreds of movies and TV shows, died April 6 at the age of 93.

DJ Frankie Knuckles, a legendary producer, remixer and house music pioneer, died March 31 at the age of 59.

Kate O'Mara, the British actress best known for playing Joan Collins' sister on the 1980s show "Dynasty," died March 30. She was 74.

Ralph C. Wilson Jr., the founder and longtime owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, died at age 95, the team announced March 25.

Gwar lead singer Dave Brockie died March 23 at the age of 50, his manager said. The heavy-metal group formed in 1984, billing itself as "Earth's only openly extraterrestrial rock band." Brockie performed in the persona of Oderus Urungus.

James Rebhorn, whose acting resume includes a long list of character roles in major films and TV shows, died March 21, his representative said. Rebhorn was 65.

L'Wren Scott, a noted fashion designer and girlfriend of musician Mick Jagger, was found dead of an apparent suicide March 17, according to a law enforcement official. She was 49.

Drummer Scott Asheton, who co-founded and played drums for the influential proto-punk band The Stooges, died March 15. He was 64.

Comedian David Brenner, a regular on Johnny Carson's "The Tonight Show," died after a battle with cancer, a family spokesman said March 15. He was 78.

Actress Sheila MacRae, who portrayed Alice Kramden in a 1960s revival of "The Honeymooners" on "The Jackie Gleason Show," died on March 6, according to her family. She was 92.

Spanish guitarist Paco de Lucia, seen here in 2006, died February 25 of an apparent heart attack. He was 66. De Lucia transformed the folk art of flamenco music into a more vibrant modern sound.

Actor, writer and director Harold Ramis, seen here on the far left with fellow "Ghostbusters" Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray, died at his Chicago-area home on February 24. He was 69. Other popular Ramis films include "Stripes," "Groundhog Day" and "Analyze This."

Maria von Trapp, seen here posing with a photo of her family, was the last of the singing siblings immortalized in the movie "The Sound of Music." She died February 18 of natural causes at her Vermont home, according to her family. She was 99.

Journalist Garrick Utley died at age 74 following a long battle with cancer, his wife of 40 years said in February. Utley worked for CNN after his 30-year career at NBC News.

Devo guitarist Bob Casale, known by fans as "Bob 2," died February 17, his brother and band mate announced. Casale was 61.

John Henson, the son of Jim Henson who is perhaps most notable for his portrayal of Sweetums on "The Muppets," died after a "sudden, massive heart attack," his family's company said on February 15.

Veteran actor Ralph Waite died at 85 on February 13, according to an accountant for the Waite family and a church where the actor was a regular member. Waite was best known for his role as John Walton Sr. on 'The Waltons."

Sid Caesar, whose clever, anarchic comedy on such programs as "Your Show of Shows" and "Caesar's Hour" helped define the 1950s "Golden Age of Television," died on February 12. He was 91.

Hollywood child star Shirley Temple, who became diplomat Shirley Temple Black, died February 10 at her Woodside, California, home. She was 85.

Joan Mondale, the wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale, died on February 3, according to a statement from the family's church.

Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of an apparent drug overdose, law enforcement sources said February 2.

Maximilian Schell died on February 1 in a Austrian hospital with his wife by his side, his agent Patricia Baumbauer said. He was 83. Schell was nominated for an Oscar three times. He won in 1962 for "Judgment at Nuremberg."

Legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, known for classics such as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" and "If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)," died of natural causes in New York on January 27, his grandson told CNN. He was 94.

Ruth Robinson Duccini, who played one of the Munchkins in the 1939 classic "The Wizard of Oz," died on January 16. She was 95.

Former Playboy centerfold Cassandra Lynn Hensley was found dead at a friend's home in Los Angeles, the coroner there said on January 17. Hensley was 34. Her cause of death was not immediately known.

Hiroo Onoda, center, salutes after handing over his military sword on Lubang Island in the Philippines in March 1974. Onoda, a former intelligence officer in the Japanese army, had remained on the island for nearly 30 years, refusing to believe his country had surrendered in World War II. He died at a Tokyo hospital on January 16. He was 91.

Russell Johnson, center, stands with Alan Hale Jr., left, and Bob Denver in an episode of "Gilligan's Island" in 1966. Johnson, who played "the professor" Roy Hinkley in the hit television show, passed away January 16 at his home in Washington state, according to his agent, Mike Eisenstadt. Johnson was 89.

Ariel Sharon, whose half century as a military and political leader in Israel was marked with victories and controversies, died on January 11 after eight years in a coma, Israeli Army Radio reported. Sharon was 85.

Franklin McCain, seen center wearing glasses, one of the "Greensboro Four," who made history for their 1960 sit-in at a Greensboro Woolworth's lunch counter, died on January 10 after a brief illness, according to his alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University.

Larry Speakes, who served as President Ronald Reagan's press secretary, died January 10 at his home in Cleveland, Mississippi, following a lengthy illness, according to Bolivar County Coroner Nate Brown. He was 74.

Poet Amiri Baraka, who lost his post as New Jersey's poet laureate because of a controversial poem about the 9/11 terror attacks, died on January 9, his agent said. Baraka was 79.

Sir Run Run Shaw, the media tycoon who helped bring Chinese martial arts films to an international audience, died at his home in Hong Kong on January 7 at age 106, the television station he founded said.

Stage, TV and film actress Carmen Zapata, who founded the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts as a means of of introducing "the rich and eloquent history of the diverse Hispanic culture to English-speaking audiences," died on January 5 at her Los Angeles home. She was 86.

Portugal football legend Eusebio, who was top scorer at the 1966 World Cup, died from a heart attack on January 5 at age 71, said his former club, Benfica.

Alicia Rhett, who had been one of the oldest surviving cast members of the classic film "Gone With the Wind," died on January 3 in her longtime hometown of Charleston, South Carolina, a retirement community spokeswoman said. She was 98.

Singer Phil Everly, left -- one half of the groundbreaking, smooth-sounding, record-setting duo the Everly Brothers -- died on January 3, a hospital spokeswoman said. He was 74.

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Photos: People we lost in 2014

The song became a No. 1 hit in England and propelled him to Woodstock, where his passionate live version was a festival highlight and launched his U.S. career.

Cocker scored another major success in the early 1970s with "Mad Dogs and Englishmen," a live album and concert film.

"Up Where We Belong," his duet with Jennifer Warnes from the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman," was Cocker's biggest U.S. hit, topping the Billboard singles charts in 1982. It also won him a Grammy, and the Oscar for best original song.

Cocker was known for his spasmodic movements on stage, where he often flailed his arms as he sang. His distinctive moves, he said, were almost accidental.

"I never played organ or piano or guitar, so it was more out of frustration and me just trying to impersonate in a way," Cocker told the Broward-Palm Beach New Times in 2012. "I did it subconsciously. People mistook for me being ill, like I had palsy. I'm not nearly so demonstrative now, but I still have my own way of feeling the rhythm."

Cocker also had lesser hits with covers of torch classic "Cry Me a River," Traffic's "Feeling Alright," the Boxtops' "The Letter" and the Beatles' "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window."

In the 1980s his witty cover of Randy Newman's "You Can Leave Your Hat On," was featured in the erotic drama "9 1/2 Weeks" and became a strip-tease anthem.

WE LOVED YOU FOREVER, WE WILL MISS YOU ALWAYS...RIP JOE COCKER.

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) December 22, 2014

The singer told the Daily Mail in 2013 that by the 1970s his descent into drugs and alcohol had become so severe that he sometimes forgot the lyrics to songs.

"If I'd been stronger mentally, I could have turned away from temptation," Cocker said. "But there was no rehab back in those days. Drugs were readily available, and I dived in head first. And once you get into that downward spiral, it's hard to pull out of it. It took me years to get straight."

RIP Joe Cocker Be more like this yall ------> http://t.co/10UDLpY33Z

— Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco) December 22, 2014

He credited his wife, Pam, with helping him get sober.

"It was Pam who helped me get myself back together," he said. "She made me think positively. I was very down on myself. She made me realize people still wanted to hear me sing, and convinced me I could escape the downward spiral."

So sad to hear about Joe Cocker. What an entertainer. One of a kind voice. Rock won't ever sound the same.

— Kevin McHale (@druidDUDE) December 22, 2014

In 2012 he released the album, "Hard Knocks." That year he talked to NPR about the project and his love of his life in Colorado -- despite the harsh winters.

"I embrace the winter these days," he said in the interview. "The best thing to do is get a big house. If you are going to have cabin fever, have a big cabin. I walk on a regular basis, I have a couple of dogs. The house tucks right into the mountains. I literally feel I have become a mountain man over these past couple of years."

Musicians of all ages and genres took to Twitter to pay tribute.

"So sad to hear about Joe Cocker. What an entertainer. One of a kind voice. Rock won't ever sound the same," tweeted "Glee's" Kevin McHale.

People we've lost in 2014

RIP Joe Cocker. Great voice & spirit. #IGetByWithALittleHelpFromMyFriends

— Tom Morello (@tmorello) December 22, 2014

RIP JOE COCKER, whose voice brings me right back to childhood... http://t.co/PCUp1mczfE #bestthemesongever #WonderYears

— Danica McKellar (@danicamckellar) December 22, 2014

Review: 2-hour execution not botched

An independent report on a two-hour execution revealed no wrongdoing

Joseph Wood execution was initially believed to be "botched"

A media witness likens Wood's breathing to a "fish gulping for air"

Wood had argued the combination for lethal injection was cruel and unusual punishment

CNN's original series "Death Row Stories" explores America's capital punishment system. Join the conversation about the death penalty at facebook.com/cnn or Twitter @CNNorigSeries using #DeathRowStories.

(CNN) -- An independent report released Monday into the execution of Arizona inmate Joseph Wood revealed the state's Department of Corrections followed protocol.

"This independent review concluded that at all times following the administration of the execution protocol, the inmate was fully sedated, was totally unresponsive to stimuli, and as a result did not suffer," said Corrections Director Charles Ryan.

"In fact, the Pima County medical examiner is cited as reporting that the breathing pattern exhibited by the inmate prior to his death is a normal bodily response to dying, even in someone highly sedated," Ryan said.

Inmate Joseph Wood was been executed in Arizona.

The report timeline for the July 23 execution confirmed previous accounts that it took two hours for Woods to die after the first drug protocol was administered at 1:40 p.m. And after the first lethal injection failed to kill Wood, executioners gave him 14 additional doses of a two-drug cocktail.

During those two hours, witnesses including Wood's attorney claimed to have seen Wood snorting and struggling to breathe.

Troy Hayden, a media witness from KSAZ, likened Wood's breathing to a "fish gulping for air."

The report timeline did not remark on Wood's breathing. After the staff administered a dose, they confirmed that Wood remained sedated.

"The medical examiner in this case offered no apparent explanation for the time lapse that occurred in the Wood execution," read the report. "The IV team leader, medical examiner and an independent correctional health expert agreed that the dosage administered was sufficient to cause death in a relatively short period of time. All agreed that the dosage of midazolam would result in heavy sedation."

Lethal Injection: The process

The two-drug cocktail itself -- a mix of midazolam and hydromorphone -- came into question.

Wood's attorney, Dale Baich, argued the report did not "answer the question of why the experimental drug protocol did not work as promised."

In an open letter, Ryan told Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer he intends to stop using the midazolam and hydromorphone cocktail and instead use a one-drug injection or a three-drug cocktail.

"Based on this report, I forwarded my assessment to Governor Jan Brewer that the state continue efforts to procure drugs for the one-drug protocol, and begin the process to adopt three-drug protocols, as opposed to utilizing a modified two-drug protocol," Ryan said.

Baich said he warned the Department of Corrections of the two-drug combination long before the execution.

"The pre-identified problems came true," Baich said. "The decision to now remove this formula is an acknowledgment by the Arizona Department of Corrections that it was wrong in choosing this combination of chemicals."

The independent review came at Brewer's request. She directed the Department of Corrections to review the process citing concerns over the amount of time it took for Wood to die.

A federal judge ordered local officials to preserve all physical evidence in Wood's execution.

Wood was convicted of murder and assault in the 1989 deaths of his estranged girlfriend and her father.

"You don't know what excruciating is. What's excruciating is seeing your dad laying there in a pool of blood, seeing you sister laying there in a pool of blood. This man deserved it. And I shouldn't really call him a man," said Jeanne Brown, a relative of Wood's victims.

Wood was the latest American death row inmate to argue that an anesthetic recently introduced in some states' execution protocols could fail to sufficiently knock out the inmate ahead of the lethal drugs, subjecting the person to an agonizing death.

Wood claimed among other things that the state was going to use an "experimental" drug protocol.

In documents filed with the state Supreme Court, Wood contended the use of the anesthetic midazolam was problematic in recent U.S. executions and that it would violate the Constitution's guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment.

Some states turned to midazolam this decade after they could no longer get sodium thiopental, a drug that was regularly used for executions. A U.S. manufacturer stopped producing sodium thiopental in 2009, and countries that still produce it won't allow its export to the United States for use in lethal injections.

Earlier this year, Oklahoma put executions on hold after the controversial execution of Clayton Lockett. Midazolam was part of the injection combination, and it took 43 minutes for him to die, Oklahoma officials said.

The Arizona report remarked on the differences with the Oklahoma case.

"Staff performance in no way contributed to the extended time lapse from initiation of the drug protocol to pronouncement of death. As noted, the execution was not 'botched" in comparison to what occurred in Oklahoma with Clayton Lockett," said the report.

But Baich remains unconvinced.

"The state should release all of the documentation and witness reports that went into this review. Only through discovery in a court of law will there be a truly independent and comprehensive examination of what went wrong during Mr. Wood's nearly two-hour execution," he said.

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CNN's Tony Marco contributed to this report.

What is Hollywood's new hotspot?

Serbia has emerged in recent years as a popular filmmaking destination. Over the last few years, a number of international hits have been shot at least partly in the country, including "The Raven" (2012), starring John Cusack (right) and Luke Evans.

A poster for 2014's "The November Man," a spy action thriller starring Pierce Brosnan and Olga Kurylenko.

"Coriolanus" (2011), a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic play, directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes.

"Lockout" (2012), a sci-fi thriller starring Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace.

"Ironclad: Battle for Blood" (2014), adventure with with Michelle Fairley, Roxanne McKee and Predrag Bjelac.

"Titanic: Blood and Steel" (2012), TV drama Kevin Zegers, Alessandra Mastronardi and Neve Campbell.

"District 13: Ultimatum" (2009), action film written by Luc Besson and directed by Patrick Alessandrin.

Serbia is stepping up efforts to build its reputation in international filmmaking

Diverse landscape, varied architecture and experiences crews are advantages

Films shot in the country include "The November Man" and "Coriolanus"

Editor's note: CNN's On the Road series brings you a greater insight into the customs and culture of countries across the world. Until the end of December CNN International explores the places, people and passions unique to Serbia. Read CNN's special reports policy.

(CNN) -- What do you do if you want to film the iconic story of Phileas Fogg, the intrepid Jules Verne character who takes a bet to prove that a man can circumvent the globe in 80 days?

Sure, you can follow Fogg's trail around the world and start shooting in different locations -- or you can spend most of your time in Serbia.

Starring Pierce Brosnan as Fogg, the 1989 TV adaptation of Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days" was mainly filmed in and around the Balkan country -- then part of Yugoslavia. Thanks to its diverse landscape and impressive architecture, Serbia represented a total of 18 countries in the mini-series, while the city of Belgrade served as the backdrop for seven world cities.

The Balkan Hollywood Hills

"[Serbia] has a very long tradition of film making," says Ana Ilic, executive director of the Serbia Film Commission. "Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were so many huge co-productions that were made here."

And now, filmmakers are taking notice once again as Serbia steps up its efforts to raise its profile as an important player in international filmmaking.

From medieval castles to jagged mountains to modern cityscapes, it seems that every corner and crevice in Serbia can make the cut in Hollywood. International hits shot at least partly in the country include the film adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Corolianus," starring Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler, the 2012 period thriller "The Raven," with John Cusack, while recently Pierce Brosnan returned to the country too to film spy action thriller "The November Man."

Serbia has done some really great productions in recent years.

Ana Ilic, Serbia Film Commission

"Serbia has done some really great productions in recent years," says Ilic. "It has proven to be a really good competitive high-quality service filming destination -- it is quite hot now."

'Serbia, NOT Siberia!'

Serbia's renewed focus on building an impressive reputation in international movie production is benefiting several local industry players. One of them is film producer is Andjelka Vlaisavljevic, who is matching her movie-making savvy with a meticulous approach to budgets to win more and more big budget films.

She says that it wasn't always that way.

"They would say, 'Siberia,' no way, we are not going there, it's cold!' And so, it's like 'no no no, it's Serbia!' [You] can you imagine what the reaction to Serbia was," jokes Vlaisavljevic, founder of Work in Progress Productions.

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The perseverance of Belgrade

"That's changed completely now," she continues. "The buzz is out that here it's not just very good crews and all that, but it's a good time that you have working in Belgrade. And again, everybody has such a low expectations when it comes to us, then they get pleasantly surprised and so they like it here."

Resilient industry

But it's not just movie producers taking advantage of Serbia's bid to emerge as a key force in international filmmaking.

Bojan Peric is a Serbian actor who's found success at home, and went on to appear at "Lockout." He says he's proud not just of his own accomplishments but of the talent and skill of the crews and production teams he works with.

"During all those bad times that happened in the past an industry that did not fall back was the film industry," he says.

"That's important for the culture of the people and I believe that a country makes its image through culture."

Read this: The ancient craft of Pirot carpet weaving

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Magic and mystery of Pirot carpets

3D printed textiles are all the rage now, but can they rival the allure of traditional handmade fabrics? Intricate and full of charm, Pirot carpets -- aptly named after the town in which they're made -- are still being crafted in Serbia.

Pirot carpets are carefully woven with strands of wool and the art itself can be traced back to the middle ages. Each carpet is unique and often tells a story through it's detailed patterns.

Only a handful of women still craft these detailed rugs and it is feared that these carpets will soon face extinction.

"We were born on carpets and we grew up in homes filled with Pirot carpets" says Slavica Ciric, a Pirot carpet weaver. "We realized about ten years ago that there is a danger that Pirot carpet weaving could soon disappear" she adds.

A special breed of sheep provide the strong wool strands for the carpets. Unfortunately, there are only a few hundred left.

In order to keep the art alive, it is up to new generations to learn and hone the craft. Ceric is schooling her granddaughter in carpet-making.

A national symbol and a physical embodiment of Serbian history, the Pirot carpet blends craftsmanship with a unique form of storytelling. Perhaps, with efforts of weavers like Ciric, the age-old craft can be preserved.

Carpets have been weaved in the town of Pirot for 400 years

They were hung in Serbian royal palaces and celebrated across Europe

However, only 10 weavers still practice the craft today

Weavers say patterns have magical meanings and symbolism

Pirot, Serbia (CNN) -- In the backroom of a small house in Pirot in southeastern Serbia, a handful of women are fighting to keep an ancient craft alive.

Their dexterous fingers race up and down large wooden looms, weaving the bold geometric patterns distinct to Pirot carpets.

Once celebrated throughout Europe for their beauty, Pirot carpets graced the walls and floors of Serbian royal palaces, as well homes of the urban elite. Weaved for over four centuries in the town after which they were named -- Pirot, once a thriving trade center on the caravan route between east and west -- they were ceremonially rolled out for state visits, and given to foreign dignitaries.

Serbia's poetic carpets read like books

However, what was a thriving craft practiced by 5,000 weavers a century ago is now under threat of extinction, with only 10 women still keeping the tradition going.

"Pirot carpet weaving is our treasure which is passed on from generation to generation. It's the knowledge I learned from my mother and my grandmother," says Slavica Ciric who founded the Lady's Heart cooperative in Pirot with local women in 2009, to try to stop the skills nurtured throughout centuries from passing into oblivion.

Pirot carpet weaving is our treasure which is passed on from generation to generation.

Slavica Ciric.

"Carpet weaving is in our DNA," she continues. "We were born on carpets and we grew up in houses filled with Pirot carpets."

Mastery of craft

Pirot carpets are very thin but extremely dense, and are said to last more than a century. They have two identical sides and are geographically protected, which means that they can only be made in the Pirot area, and out of Pirot sheep -- a rare breed with only a few flocks counting just 250 sheep remaining.

Weaving is painstaking work. It requires geometrical precision, supreme skill and creativity in equal measure. Everything is done by hand only, and in the same way as hundreds of years ago. It takes two weavers working simultaneously a month to create less than one square meter.

Traditionally a female activity, young girls would start at the loom at the age of 10, practicing every day for five years to reach a level considered good enough. Their weaving skill had a great impact on their marriage prospects -- it was considered a measure of intelligence because of the knowledge of mathematics required to calculate the size and distribution of patterns.

"When you look at a carpet with an untrained eye, you can see beautiful colorful patterns, but we work out exactly how many of these patterns we can fit within a meter," says Ciric. "We have to be visionaries and use logic to see where these patterns will stop, and where the border of the carpet will connect and finish," she adds.

And if a weaver makes a mistake, the carpet is instantly pulled apart, even if the work was nearly completed.

Magical meaning

The concentration necessary for this kind of precise work often means that once a weaver sits down at the loom, she loses all sense of time. "The pattern in a mysterious way simply possesses her, drags her into the depth and she's so taken by her work that everything around her stops. She forgets about the time, she surrenders herself to the pattern," says Ciric.

Carpet weaving is in our DNA, we were born on carpets and we grew up in houses filled with Pirot carpets.

Slavica Ciric

And it's those patterns that give Pirot carpets a mystical allure. Weavers say they represent ancient symbols which carry magical meanings and can be read as an image alphabet, and there are 95 varieties which weavers have to memorize. "It is very mysterious but in every single carpet there is a story which you can read. When I see a carpet I can immediately tell whether it has been made now or in a different period, whether it has been made with love or only to be sold," says Ciric.

Even though this skill is now practiced only by a handful of women, Ciric and her fellow weavers from Lady's Heart are trying to pass it on to the next generation, organizing winter courses for schoolchildren, including boys.

"There is a new generation coming along and if we manage to pass on this knowledge to them, I think there won't be any danger of this craft dying out," says Ciric. "We are the guardians of the tradition of Pirot carpet weaving, and we do this with love."

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