Rose Tattoo Member Thought Mick Cocks Had More Time

ROSE TATTOO MEMBER THOUGHT MICK COCKS HAD MORE TIME

December 24, 2009

Patrick Williams of TweedNews.com.au reports: Former Rose Tattoo member and Bilambil Heights resident Geordie Leach thought his mate Mick Cocks had more time.

But the Aussie rocker, who passed away on Tuesday night after his battle with liver cancer, will always be remembered by his fellow band member as a “good old boy.”

“Even though we knew he was terminal, all of us thought he had a bit more life in him,” Mr Leach said yesterday.

“It is a sad day for all of us, he was one of the founding members of Rose Tattoo besides Gary ‘Angry’ Anderson.”

“It’s just bad luck. If you live the rock and roll life too much it catches up with you in the end.”

Mr Leach said he first met Mr Cocks in 1975 following the break up of his band, Buster Brown.

A year later, Cocks and Anderson helped form rock band Rose Tattoo.

Years later Mr Leach would join them on bass guitar where they recorded hit songs including Rock ‘n’ Roll Outlaw and Bad Boy for Love.

“It was always a pleasure working with him (Cocks) and tour overseas with him,” Mr Leach said.

Mr Leach, now based in Burleigh Heads, last saw his friend at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney in July to raise money for Cocks.

Rose Tattoo, Jimmy Barnes, You Am I, Ian Moss and The Screaming Jets all performed for the benefit.

“We just wanted to help him live the rest of his life in comfort,” Mr Leach said.

The band announced in April that Cocks had developed liver cancer.

The statement said Cocks, a smoker, was in good spirits after the diagnosis and was being treated by the “very best” doctors in Sydney, adding that he was “ready for a fight.”

A service for Cocks will be held on December 30.

Mr Leach said he would attend.

Cocks is the fourth member of the band to pass away following Ian Rilen and Pete Wells in 2006 and Lobby Loyde in 2007.

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com and www.tweednews.com.au