Billy Joel urged the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame to induct Joe Cocker into its ranks in a newly surfaced video.The video shows Joel reading a letter that he wrote to the Rock Hall in 2014, when Cocker’s health was failing. (He died on Dec. 22 of that year.) Joel read the letter to filmmaker John Edginton in 2016 just before taking the stage at Madison Square Garden for Edginton’s 2017 documentary Joe Cocker: Mad Dog With Soul.Joel’s reading did not make the final cut of the film, but you can now watch it and read it in full below, to coincide with Cocker’s first Rock Hall nomination this year.READ MORE: 5 Reasons Joe Cocker Should Be in the Rock and Roll Hall of FameRead Billy Joel’s Full Letter Urging the Rock Hall to Induct Joe CockerHere is the full text of Joel’s letter urging the Rock Hall to induct Cocker:As a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame since 1999, it has been one of my fondest hopes to see Joe Cocker inducted into it as well. When I first heard him in 1969, I was very inspired by the sound of his incredibly raw and soulful vocal style. That became a watershed year in my life. That year, I attended the Woodstock festival, bought the first Led Zeppelin album and heard Joe Cocker sing ‘With a Little Help From My Friends.’ I thought Joe was the most powerful rock ‘n’ roll interpretive male singer I had heard since first hearing the iconic early recordings of Ray Charles. In my opinion, no one has since come even close to him as one of the great primal rock ‘n’ roll vocalists of all time. I feel very strongly that Joe Cocker should be considered for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. I hope you will consider putting his name on the voting ballot this year.Other Rockers Who Advocated for Joe Cocker’s Rock Hall InductionDespite his passionate plea, Joel said the Rock Hall never responded to his letter. “Shows you how much impact I have,” he deadpanned.Joel isn’t the only rocker who’s petitioned for Cocker’s Rock Hall induction. The powerhouse vocalist, who’s been eligible for induction since 1994, also received a little help from Paul McCartney, who advocated for Cocker in an open letter addressed to all “Rock and Rollers.”“Joe was a great man and a fine singer whose unique style made for some fantastic performances,” McCartney wrote. “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,” McCartney continued. “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.”Fans who want to see Cocker inducted can make their voices heard by participating in the Rock Hall’s daily fan vote through April 21.145 Artists Not in the Rock and Roll Hall of FameMany have shared their thoughts on possible induction.Gallery Credit: Ultimate Classic Rock Staff