Cochran had a twin brother who died at the age of two. He began playing guitar at age six. His father was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder, and as a result Cochran spent much of his youth living with relatives in Louisiana, Meridian, Mississippi, and with his grandmother in Gadsden, Alabama. Cochran first began performing on the local music scene in Gadsden, which displeased his grandmother, who wanted him to join the military. She convinced him to enlist in the Air Force, where he was stationed in San Antonio. He traveled each weekend to Abilene to play on Slim Willet's radio show. This brought him to the attention of the managers of the Big D Jamboree, who had him perform on this program as well. He was then transferred to Selma, Alabama, where he founded the country group The Flying C Ranch Boys. This group performed in local bars and restaurants, as well as on radio stationWBAM. He was dismissed from the Air Force in 1955, and following this he became a member of Jimmy Swan's band in Hattiesburg. In the mid-1950s he appeared on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree in Los Angeles. He began playing rockabilly shortly after hearing Elvis Presley. Cochran hired manager Pat O'Donnell, who came up with Cochran's "Jack the Cat" name and image. Through O'Donnell, Cochran was offered a recording contract with Sims Records. His first singles for the label appeared in 1956. After further appearances on the Big D Jamboree he was asked to play on the Spade Cooley show in California. Despite O'Donnell's disapproval, Cochran moved to the West Coast and performed on the show. He then signed with Decca Records, and his single "Ruby Pearl" sold well and nearly hit the Billboard charts, but his manager let the Decca contract lapse, and the single fizzled before charting. After a short time with Viv Records, Cochran took up work at the Douglas Aircraft Company and quit music for a time. He restarted his career during the rockabilly revival in Europe, releasing three albums on Rollin' Rock Records in 1973 and touring Norway in 1981. He took up the nickname "Waukeen" in the 1970s as well, a name given to him by his native American grandmother. In 1985 the German record label Hydra released a successful compilation of his early recordings "Jack The Cat - The Jackie Lee Cochran Story". To promote the album the label boss Klaus Kettner put together a European tour for Jackie Lee Cochran which was so successful, that they teamed up for all the following tours until his death. He recorded new material for Hydra Records and Ace Records. He died in 1998 in his apartment in California at age 64. During the 70's Waukeen mostly played at the Burning Tree Lounge on Santa Monica Blvd with Jim King on Hammond organ and key bass and Robert Huber on drums and backup vocals. They also played at the nearby Haystack Saloon and the Gaslight.
