The Don’t Forget Me: Eddie Cochran documentary is a loving tribute to one of rock and roll’s pioneers.
First screened at Raindance Film Festival 2026, this heartfelt commemoration of Eddie Cochran is afforded a loving documentary about his short life and ground breaking career in the late 1950s when he was at the forefront of the rock and roll explosion.
A talking head documentary where family and fans speak about his still influential career during the time of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. Cochran was a name to be spoken in those same illustrious names. Cochran was born in October 1938 in the small town of Albert Lea, Minnesota; his wish was to conquer the world with his music and guitar.
The range of influence runs from contemporaries to those who saw him on his UK tours in 1960 from Brian Johnston of AC/DC and the rock and roll savant, Nick Moran.
As well as interviews with Cliff Richard (who modelled his look on Cochran) and Marty Wilde who picked up the baton of spreading feel good rock music in the UK; as well as both Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood admiring his guitar playing and style of picking that was unique and ahead of his time.
Cochran sadly passed away in an automobile accident in Bristol, England on 17th April 1960, hoping to catch a plane ride return to California to conquer America after his hard days of touring in the UK. Edward Ray Cochran was aged 22.
His death so soon after Buddy Holly’s death in a plane crash was as raw, and added to the mythos of rock and roll as a live free, die young lifestyle – music that while free of inhibition carried this cloud of sorrow and doom.
No matter, the wealth of admiration that comes across from the various interviewees is quite staggering – Rod Stewart and Roger Daltrey – and validation for his quite short career, makes you want to seek out his back catalogue beyond the glorious ‘Summertime Blues’ which remains as fresh sounding now as it did in 1958.
The last twenty minutes of the film contains the stories – how McCartney played ’20 Flight Rock’ to Lennon to become a part of The Beatles, how PC Dave Harmon picked up Cochran’s guitar from the crash site and went on to have a career himself in Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich; and how Marc Bolan saw Cochran play at the Hackney Empire as a stage hand. Cochran in a short space of time had influence far reaching beyond his untimely passing
As the title suggests, Cochran’s is a life and career that requires constant reappraisal and gratitude for his pioneering music albeit for a short wonderful period of time.
Don’t Forget Me is out in cinemas from 11th September, on limited release.
Thanks to Strike Media for the review opportunity.
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