`LAST KISS' SONGWRITER NOW PASTOR IN MIAMI

`LAST KISS' SONGWRITER NOW PASTOR IN MIAMI

MIAMI, Fla. (Wireless Flash) -- Pearl Jam's remake of J. Frank Wilson's 1964 hit, "Last Kiss," is a real blessing for the song's composer, Wayne Cochran. The 60-year-old Cochran is now a Pentecostal minister in Miami, where he performs '60s soul tunes with gospel lyrics a la Whoopi Goldberg in "Sister Act." Cochran says he wrote "Last Kiss" in 1957 after learning about a friend who died in an automobile accident while on her very first date. He recorded the song and it became a local hit in Odessa, Texas, but Cochran's record label refused to promote it nationwide because it didn't fit in with his R&B image. Meanwhile, J. Frank Wilson's version of "Last Kiss" -- which was almost identical -- hit the top of the charts in 1964. Although Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder claims he found "Last Kiss" in an antique record store, Cochran claims the song "was never lost," and was "...the most requested oldie of 1997."

CONTACT: Wayne Cochran, *****; Miami, FL; (305) 625-3787