Don't Forget Me

This is the celebration of a life that was short-lived but lives long through the influence he has on Rock and Roll. The influence is very clear and illustrated by the people involved in this film. This is the story of Eddie Cochran who was part of the invention of Rock and Roll. We see the life of a Rock Star from childhood to his untimely death through home videos, photos, fan letters and through the words of those closest to him and most importantly his music.

This is an intimate view of a persons life and is beautifully put together. I have not seen many documentaries that mix real footage and film acting. The combination works brilliantly and links each part of his life in a wonderful way. Even if the audience has little knowledge of the man, they will appreciate the voices of those that have been part of music for the last 60 years.

The scene is set for the 50s with music from Little Richard and Buddy Holly. Images of young men and women dancing in their 50’s style fashion, it certainly looks like a fun time and music appears to be a major part of young peoples lives and they are displaying so much freedom and energy.

A measure of the mans talent was that he produced music and played multiple instruments on each track. He brought new ideas using overdubbing and even experimented with his guitar by using a Gretsch Guitar and a Gibson pickup. He loosened the G-String to make a completely different sound. It is hard to imagine how someone would feel listening to this sound for the first time.

A special story told by Kiefer Sutherland paints the picture of Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran sitting together in a Delhi and Cochran is giving Buddy Holly tips on playing the guitar. Two men with amazing talent sharing time together with no competitiveness or rivalry. Sadly this friendship was short lived and traumatic events followed with the death of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the “Big Bopper”. We hear Three Stars playing in the background which was Cochran’s tribute to his three friends.

Rock and Roll performers were seen as edgy, displaying anger and energy. Rock and Roll was blamed for the delinquent behaviour of the youth of the 1950’s and 60’s. It is also seen as the anarchic influence on Punk Rock of the 1970’s. To look at him you wouldn’t think this was possible with his slicked back hair, smart suits and young innocent face.

We hear from many of the female fans as voiceovers are used to read out the fan letters that have been kept for over 60 years. Times were different and we hear Eddie Cochran say how he enjoyed ringing the fans that left their numbers. It is an example of more innocent times. The voiceovers are a brilliant way of hearing from those who listened to his music and you gain a real sense of how much he was loved. We see mum on the phone as she voices her disapproval of some of the girls photos that they have sent him.

The director does an amazing job putting so much material together and it is amazing how much material there is. There are so many videos of Cochran through out his short life along with photos, posters and fan letters. In between this material the audience hears Eddie Cochran narrating every part of his story and we see his mothers reaction to everything he does. The use of actors to display the different events of his life and how his mother reacts is very effective. The Voice over artist successfully brings Cochran to life and effectively shows the emotions of a young man living a life beyond his dreams. The audience hears about the relentless touring in the UK and the fears he has over exhaustion and his own mortality.

We hear and see Cochrans sister, his niece and nephew as they describe their relationship with him and how his life had such an impact on them and continues to do so. The effect of his death is palpable and it appears that the family, parrticularly his mother didn’t recover. The last few scenes are very emotional and amplify that he was not just a Rock Star, he was a son, a brother an Uncle and a friend.

This is a special film that has clearly been brought to the public by someone who has a passion for his music, understands the time and could bring so many amazing musical influences onto the screen. Not many musical stars could bring the likes of Keith Richards, Roger Daltrey, Cliff Richard, Sting, Alice Cooper and Yungblud together.

The story doesn’t end with Cochrans death and goes on to show the amazing links to future rock and roll stars like Dave Harman and Mark Bolam. The Bolam story is particularly eerie and made more profound because of Cochran’s belief that he was destined to Die young and had a premonition that he would not come home. We see footage of an interview with Paul McCartney as he explains that the song “Twenty Flight Rock” was the song that got him into The Beatles. If anything shows how influential he was then that moment does it in massive way.

This film will hopefully continue his legacy and bring a whole new audience. The title Don’t Forget Me is very apt and it is clear 66 years later that he has not been forgotten.

Don’t Forget Me will be available in UK cinemas from 11th September 2026.