THE nephew of 50s guitar legend Eddie Cochran will follow in the footsteps of the late, great rock 'n' roller when he appears at Worcester this weekend.

Bobby Cochran will be bringing his band to Huntingdon Hall this Sunday, 42 years after Eddie himself appeared at the Gaumont in the Faithful City.

Eddie, who died in a car crash near Bath on April 17, 1960, aged just 21, was one of the pioneers of the rock 'n' roll genre. His twangy guitar riffs in songs like C'mon Everybody and Summertime Blues, along with his attitude, laid the foundations for bands like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to build upon.

Bobby, understandably, speaks fondly of his late uncle.

"I do remember Eddie. He left a lasting impression on most of us. Eddie was the shining light of our family. I remember his warmth and kindness and his sense of humour and generosity.

"He was an inspiration to me as a musician and artist and I have been writing a book about Eddie and the parallels and synchronicity of our lives. It has been a very revealing journey."

The most obvious parallel has to be the love of the guitar. "Eddie and I both got into music because of our love for it," he said.

"Guitar and music has been our constant companion in life. The love of guitar and our desire to be good at it drove us to practice beyond anything reasonable. I often used to practice eight to twelve hours a day. When I am not practising or don't have a guitar in my hands, the songs and ideas are still playing out in my head. I am often in another world, lost in the creation of a new song or musical idea. Eddie was the same."

Bobby's musical career may not be as celebrated as Eddie's, but it has certainly been more prolific. He was the lead guitarist in Steppenwolf and has also been in The Flying Burrito Brothers as well as Bobby and the Midnites (with Grateful Dead's Bob Weir).

His latest outfit, the Bobby Cochran Band, features Brian Hodgson, Gary Baldwin and Howard Tibble, who between them, have worked with such big names as George Harrison, Kirsty McColl, Fats Domino and Shakin' Stevens.

"I have often been asked what style of music I play," he said. "I play mostly Rock, Blues and Country, not necessarily in that order. My nickname for many years was Rockin' Cochran and my greatest influence is Eddie. Eddie played what he felt, what was inspiring to him at that moment. I do the same!"

Today, Eddie's music is still enjoyed by many people of all ages and Bobby wonders which songs today's youngsters will look back on later in life.

"I often wonder what tunes the current generation of kids will be humming in 40 years. What songs will instantly bring them back to the moment of their first kiss or the first time they fell in love.

"I hope the music world rediscovers its conscience. I hope the shareholders start insisting that the record company bosses have a love and respect for the products they cram down our throats!

"Profits can be made from the things we respect and it's time that we honour what we love, Eddie loved what he did and the people of England have loved and honoured what he did."

Bobby Cochran will be appearing at Huntingdon Hall on Sunday.

Tickets cost £10 and are available from the box office on 01905 611427.