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Eddie Cochran, born Ray Edward Cochran on October 3, 1938, in Albert Lea, Minnesota, moved with his family to Bell Gardens, California, at age 14, where he began playing guitar. In 1954, he joined a local band with songwriter Hank Cochran as the second vocalist. The group, known as "The Cochran Brothers" despite no relation, primarily performed country-western music until Elvis Presley’s rise in 1955 overshadowed them. The duo soon split, with Eddie pursuing rock and roll and Hank moving to Nashville to become a successful songwriter. In 1956, Eddie partnered with old friend and songwriter Jerry Capehart, securing a recording contract with Crest Records, a small Hollywood label.
Si Waronker, an executive at Liberty Records, recognized Eddie’s talent and aimed to make him Liberty’s answer to Elvis. To boost his career, Liberty arranged for Eddie to appear in the 1956 film The Girl Can't Help It, starring Jayne Mansfield, where he performed "Twenty Flight Rock" as himself. He also appeared as himself in the 1957 B-movie Untamed Youth. Eddie’s debut single, "Sittin' in the Balcony," reached the top 20 on the music charts. Nearly a year later, his 1958 hit "Summertime Blues" resonated strongly with teenage audiences, establishing him as one of Liberty's biggest stars and an influential figure in late 1950s music.
In 1959, Eddie met songwriter Sharon Sheeley and invited her to collaborate, resulting in the single "Somethin' Else," released by Liberty in September 1959. In early 1960, Eddie toured England for several weeks, with Sharon joining him. The tour ended with a concert in Bristol. The following day, while traveling to Heathrow Airport for their early morning flight back to the United States, the Ford Consul taxi carrying Eddie, Sharon, and singer Gene Vincent blew a tire and crashed into a lamp post. Sharon was seriously injured, Vincent sustained a broken leg and ribs, and Eddie suffered severe head injuries. He died hours later at a local hospital on April 17, 1960, at the age of 21.
