ALBERT LEA – This Father’s Day, Albert Lea honors one of its most famous native sons with hot cars, cold root beer floats, and a variety of events.

Thursday, June 14, 2001

ALBERT LEA – This Father’s Day, Albert Lea honors one of its most famous native sons with hot cars, cold root beer floats, and a variety of events.

Eddie Cochran, an early rock ‘n’ roll pioneer who sang hits like "Summertime Blues," "Jeannie, Jeannie, Jeannie" and "Sitting in the Balcony," was born in Albert Lea. The annual event, which started Monday with a weeklong medallion hunt, is soaked in early rock memories.

A revised cruise route, dance and craft show are new additions to the 10th annual edition of the Eddie Cochran Weekend. An ongoing Eddie Cochran and Marion Ross exhibit at the Freeborn County Historical Museum will help bobby-soxers and hoods alike get in the mood for weekend events like the cruise-in social and ’50s-themed dance. Ross is another Albert Lea native, most famous for her portrayal of Mrs. Cunningham on the ’50s-themed television show, "Happy Days."

Members of the Low Bucks car club warmed up their engines with a cruise to Emmons for Borderfest last weekend. This Friday, they will stay in town – beginning at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds, circling Fountain Lake, and returning to the fairgrounds in time for a dance featuring The Archives.

Between 400 and 600 classic cars come from all around – some as far away as Arizona – for the cruise, club President Ed Anderson said.

"Hopefully we can get more people involved in it, as far as the townspeople," he said.

Edward Ray Cochran was born Oct. 3, 1938, in Albert Lea. He started playing guitar at age 12. When his family moved to California he quickly made connections in the entertainment industry, according to the Freeborn County Historical Society.

Cochran became friends with several rock ‘n’ roll legends, including Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly, the Everly Brothers and Richie Valens, they said. He appeared in several movies. Cochran died in a car accident in 1960.

Eddie Cochran weekend is one of Albert Lea’s biggest summer events. The weekend helps keep Cochran’s name alive another way, too – half the proceeds from the car show and swap meet go to the Eddie Cochran Scholarship Fund, which doles out thousands of dollars for area students’ education.

Call Jennifer Hemmingsen at (507) 379-3438 or e-mail her at news@albertleatribune.com.