London: Beatle star Paul McCartney has remembered his "good mate" Joe Cocker, following the news of his death.
The 72-year-old singer said that he was "really sad" to hear about Cocker's death, adding that he will be "forever grateful" for his soulful cover of The Beatles' 'With A Little Help From My Friends', reported BBC online.
"It's really sad to hear about Joe's passing. He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and like many people I loved his singing," McCartney said.
"I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and I remember him and Denny Cordell coming round to the studio in Saville Row and playing me what they'd recorded and it was just mind blowing.
"He totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful for him for doing that. I knew him through the years as a good mate and I was so sad to hear that he had been ill and really sad to hear today that he had passed away.
"He was a great guy, a lovely guy who brought so much to the world and we'll all miss him," McCartney added.
A number of other names from the world of music and entertainment have paid tributes to Cocker on social media, including McCartney's fellow Beatle Ringo Starr, Bryan Adams and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler.
