Monday, September 5

RIP Jerry Leiber

Only just heard the news.

Jerry Leiber died on 22 August. Here he is (above, right) with his songwriting partner, Mike Stoller and some other guy.

Yes, they wrote 'Hound Dog', but also many of the greatest songs (in my opinion) of the fifties: Kansas City, Lucky Lips, Yakety Yak, There goes my baby, Treat me nice...

Imagine this: Leiber and Stoller started writing together in 1950; by 1953 they'd seen their songs recorded by such artists as Jimmy Witherspoon, Little Esther, Charles Brown, Little Willie Littlefield, Ray Charles and “Big Mama” Thornton.


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