Concert pays tribute to Eddie Cochran

DOWNEY - The Bell Gardens American Legion Hall will host a concert this Sunday to mark what would have been the 74th birthday of rock and roll pioneer Eddie Cochran.Cochran and his family moved Bell Gardens in 1953 and soon after his music career took off. "Singin' to my Baby," the only album released during Cochran's lifetime, was released in 1957 and contained the hit single "Sittin' in the Balcony," which rose to No. 18 on the Billboard charts. "Summertime Blues," perhaps Cochran's biggest hit, was released in September 1958, the same year Harvey's Broiler opened in Downey. In fact, Cochran had strong ties to Downey, sharing a recording studio with his brother, Bob, in the latter's Downey apartment. Cochran died in a traffic collision in 1960 while on tour in the UK. He was 21. Tickets to the Oct. 7 memorial concert are $10 and include a classic burger meal at Bob's Big Boy in Downey. Rock and roll favorites Deke Dickerson and The Ecco-phonics, and Craichaus, are headlining the concert, which starts at 4 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Bob's Big Boy or online at cochranclub.com.

********** Published: October 4, 2012 - Volume 11 - Issue 25