“He sang one of our songs With A Little Help From My Friends, a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative”: Paul McCartney lobbies for the inclusion of "a great man and a fine singer" in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame

Joe Cocker should be in the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame. Who says so? None other than Paul McCartney, the man who co-wrote his biggest UK hit.

In fact, McCartney has written a letter to the organisation urging his inclusion. “Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances,” he says. “He sang one of our songs With A Little Help From My Friends, a version produced by Denny Cordell which was very imaginative. All the people on the panel will be aware of the great contribution Joe made to the history of Rock and Roll.

“And whilst he may not have ever lobbied to be in the Hall of Fame, I know he would be extremely happy and grateful to find himself where he deserves to be amongst such illustrious company. Thank you and all the best,” the ex-Beatle concluded.

It is indeed somewhat ridiculous that Cocker isn’t already in there. Quite apart from his incredible cover of With A Little Help, he played Woodstock and the Isle Of Wight festivals, sold over 30 million albums, won a Grammy for Up Where We Belong, his duet with Jennifer Warnes and, in 1970, released Mad Dogs And Englishmen, regarded as one of the best live albums of all time . He more than paid his dues.

Sadly, in one sense it’s already too late. Cocker died in December 2014 at the age of 70. He had been suffering from lung cancer.

The nominees for the Hall of Fame have already been released. Aside from Cocker, they include Oasis, Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, The White Stripes, Bad Company, the Black Crowes, Soundgarden, Chubby Checker, Outkast and Mariah Carey.

Much of that list, you’d assume, would be shoo-ins. But only about half of the nominees get inducted in any given year, meaning that some figures - like Cocker - tend to get overlooked year after year. The winners are chosen by a panel of over 1,200 musicians, industry professionals and music historians.

It remains to be seen whether Macca’s special pleading does the trick for Cocker. A list of the finalists for inclusion will be announced in April, with the actual ceremony taking place later this year.