Hudson Valley Mourning the Loss of Area Rocker Karl Cochran

Karl Cochran played with Ace Frehley, Joe Lynn Turner, and performed with popular Led Zeppelin tribute Hindenberg among others.

Sad news from the world of rock as we woke up this morning to the news of the passing of beloved rocker Karl Cochran, known to many as "one of the good guys" in the business.

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As reported by Ultimate Classic Rock, Karl Cochran was an American guitarist and songwriter renowned for his collaborations with prominent rock musicians, including Ace Frehley of KISS and Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple). He was also a member of the Eric Singer Project (ESP), a supergroup featuring former KISS drummer Eric Singer and guitarist Bruce Kulick along with former Mötley Crüe vocalist John Corabi.

Karl Cochran Facebook

In 2014, Cochran suffered a stroke that left him in a coma and affected his mobility and verbal skills. Despite these challenges, he remained active in music, becoming a skilled engineer and producer in his home studio.

Karl Cochran reportedly passed away on February 19, 2025, due to a car accident. His death has been mourned by the music community, with tributes highlighting his technical skill, soulful artistic delivery, and perseverance.

Karl was from Bridgewater, NJ and played all over the Tri-State New York and New Jersey area, including many bars and clubs all around the Hudson Valley. I remember personally seeing Karl perform with Ace Frehley back in the day along with many times with Hindenberg (Led Zeppelin tribute) in the Hudson Valley area. Such an amazing player, and super nice guy.

Karl Cochran Tributes Pouring in on Social Media

Ger Fasano (Karl's fiance) wrote on Facebook #myforever #shattered #heartbroken and shared beautiful photos of the two of them together from over the years.

Joe Lynn Turner wrote,

"In loving Memory of Karl Cochran (December 26, 1963 - February 19, 2025) who was tragically killed in a car accident that occurred yesterday morning.

Here are some photos of Karl playing with JLT over the years, as well as, a personal photo (top right) of The Turners, Karl, and Karl’s fiancée Ger Fasano."

The albums shown below are ones that JLT and Karl collaborated on. The list of those albums and what Karl’s role was on those albums are listed in the discography section of Karl’s official website: https://www.karlcochran.com/disc.htm

Paul Stanley of Kiss wrote,

"Our dear friend Karl Cochran was killed in a car accident on Feb. 19th. Karl was a vocalist and guitarist extraordinaire who suffered a massive stroke but never stopped fighting to make his way back. He was loved by our fans worldwide through his appearances worldwide and was a constant inspiration as our guest on our KISS Kruises. Our deep condolences to Geri and family."