Billy Joel took a few moments out of a recent concert to offer musical tribute to Joe Cocker -- and surprised the audience with some unhappy news about the singer's health.

Referring to Cocker as "a great singer who is not very well right now," Joel introduced his version of 'A Little Help From My Friends' by saying, "I think he should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I'm amazed that he's not yet, but I'm throwing in my vote for Joe Cocker."

It definitely bears mentioning that there's been no official word from Cocker's camp regarding any illness, so it's possible that Joel was given some misinformation -- or that he intruded on Cocker's privacy with his well-meaning salute. But there's no mention of health problems at Cocker's Facebook page, and the Joe Cocker Fans Twitter account is in Ukranian, so we'll just have to take Joel at his word and send all our good thoughts Cocker's way.

Cocker's certainly been just as active as ever in recent years, and his audience has too; his most recent studio set, 2012's 'Fire It Up,' was a Top 20 hit in the U.K., and was certified gold in Germany, where he's continued to enjoy strong success since retreating from the U.S. charts. He's currently off the road, but was touring as recently as 2013.

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