Mac Cocker
Mac Cocker | |
|---|---|
| Born | George Malcolm Cocker 1941 Sheffield, England |
| Died | 2016-06-03 Darwin, Australia |
| Occupation | Broadcaster |
| Years active | 1974–2007 |
| Known for | Broadcaster with Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) |
George Malcolm Cocker (1941 – 3 June 2016), widely recognized as Mac Cocker, was an English-born broadcaster who built a 33-year tenure with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). His career spanned several ABC platforms, including Radio Australia, Triple J, Radio National, and 105.7 ABC Darwin. He was also the father of Jarvis Cocker, the frontman of the band Pulp.
Early life
Originating from Sheffield, England, Cocker initially pursued roles as a DJ, musician, and actor. He married Christine Connolly, an art student, and they had two children together, one being Jarvis Cocker (born 1963). In 1970, he separated from his family and emigrated to Sydney, Australia.
Radio career
Cocker began working with ABC in 1974 on special assignments for Radio Australia based in Melbourne. By March 1975, he became one of the inaugural team members at 2JJ (which later became Triple J), where he remained until 1985 before embarking on international travels for five years.
In 1984, he made brief television appearances in the cricket miniseries Bodyline and portrayed himself in the musical drama Sweet and Sour. He was known for fostering a rumored association with singer Joe Cocker, despite no familial relation. While accompanying Joe Cocker on tour, Mac produced a radio documentary entitled "I'm a Cocker, Too."
After returning to Australia in 1990, he settled in Darwin and resumed his ABC Radio career at 105.7 ABC Darwin. Throughout the early 1990s, he hosted various time slots and specialty shows such as The Night Train, The Globetrotter, Louvred Lounge, and a weekly program called Vinyl Museum on Radio National. He concluded his broadcasting career in 2007 after more than thirty years with ABC.
Personal life and death
In 1998, Jarvis Cocker and his sister Saskia visited Australia in an effort to reconnect with their estranged father. By 2006, Jarvis expressed that he had forgiven him; however, they remained out of touch without any resentment.
Mac Cocker passed away in Darwin on 3 June 2016 following a lengthy illness.