Jerry Leiber, RIP

Mike Stoller, Elvis Presely, and Jerry Leiber

Songwriter and record producer Jerry Leiber, who penned hits for Elvis Presley, Ben E. King and the Coasters, died in a Los Angeles hospital Monday. He was 78.

Leiber paired with Mike Stoller in 1950, when both were 17 years old, to form one of the most prolific songwriting teams of the day. Their hits were jukebox staples through the 1950s and 1960s.

“He was my friend, my buddy, my writing partner for 61 years,” Stoller said. “He had a way with words. There was nobody better. I’m going to miss him.”

Elvis took their song “Hound Dog” to the top of the charts in 1956. The tune was No. 19 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” which came out in 2004.

The team also wrote “Stand by Me” for Ben E. King, “Kansas City,” which was made famous by Wilbert Harrison, “On Broadway,” top singles for the Drifters and George Benson, and a string of hits for the Coasters, including “Young Blood,” “Searchin’,” and “Yakety Yak.”

Dozens of other artists from country to blues to R&B and rock recorded their songs.
Leiber, along with Stoller, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. [CNN]

Its clear that Leiber is responsible for some of the most iconic songs of the 20th Century, arguably shaping the early days of rock n roll as we know it. Jerry Leiber, you will be missed but your legacy will live on to infinity.

Nick Ashford died in a NY hospital on the same day.

Check out some Jerry Leiber (and Mike Stoller) videos below…