Council approves plan for statue downtown

City News July 31, 2026

At its July 27 meeting, the Albert Lea City Council voted to accept the donation of an Eddie Cochran statue to be placed next year at the northwest corner of Marion Ross Street and North Broadway Avenue. This location is north of the Marion Ross statue in front of the theater named for the actress who grew up in Albert Lea.

Cochran was born in Albert Lea on Oct. 3, 1938. He became one of the most influential early rock-n-roll musicians of the 1950s. Best known for hits like “Summertime Blues,” “C’mon Everybody,” and “Somethin’ Else,” his energetic guitar playing and songwriting helped shape the future of rock music.

Although his life tragically ended in a taxi crash at age 21, Cochran’s influence can still be heard in generations of artists who followed, including The Beatles, The Who, and countless others.

A group of volunteers is raising money for a bronze statue of Cochran playing a guitar. This group will be responsible for all costs associated with the statue, estimated at $75,000 to $100,000. The group is working with sculptor Chad Fisher of Fisher Sculpture, of Pennsylvania, the same sculptor who created the Marion Ross statue.

The volunteers plan to dedicate the statue during the Eddie Cochran Rod and Custom Festival in 2027.