Information on McCoy's life before meeting Miles Davis is scarce. He was working as an artist when he met Davis. The two became close friends, and Davis and McCoy shared an apartment in New York City on West 77th Street. McCoy created the
cover art for Davis' albums
On the Corner (1972),
In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall (1973),
Big Fun (1974), and
Water Babies (1976). The artwork for the cover of
On the Corner was produced at Davis' instigation. He was concerned that his music was not reaching an African-American audience, and wanted McCoy to create something that they would relate to. The reaction from
Columbia Records when they saw the result was not positive. Davis insisted on using McCoy's cover art. Davis recalled in his typical blunt interview style: According to Davis, McCoy was reluctant at first, but Davis was enthusiastic about the art that McCoy produced: McCoy's cover art for
On the Corner depicts a group of cartoon characters, a scene of "ghettodelic" street life among the younger generation of African Americans. The post-1960s, funk-style fashions are similar to the spirit of the
blaxploitation film images of the same era.
In Concert: Live at Philharmonic Hall included illustrations inside the album by McCoy satirizing mainstream
rock and roll music, with a cartoon music label "Slickophonics" and a long-haired white band with the name "Foot Fooler" on the front of the drum kit. In a 1974 review of the album, music magazine
Coda characterized McCoy's illustrations for this album, and
On the Corner, as "tastelessness". Davis tried commissioning two different European cartoonists to create cover art for his album
Rubberband during the 1980s. He was dissatisfied with the results, and the album was ultimately never released. In 2007, Columbia released the 6-CD box set
The Complete On the Corner Sessions that included new illustrations by Corky McCoy. ==Other illustration works==