RIP Gerry Goffin
Best known for his string of 60s classics composed with Carole King (PeekYou profile here) — his wife from 1959 to 1968 — the pair was responsible for such enduring numbers as “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman,” “The Loco-Motion,” “Up on the Roof,” and “One Fine Day.”
Other massive hits with lyrics by Goffin — who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 — include Diana Ross’ “Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)”, and Whitney Houston’s “Savin’ All My Love for You.”
Carole King — who married Goffin when she was just 17-years old — released the following statement:
“Gerry Goffin was my first love. He had a profound impact on my life and the rest of the world. Gerry was a good man and a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come. His legacy to me is our two daughters, four grandchildren, and our songs that have touched millions and millions of people, as well as a lifelong friendship. He will be missed by his wonderful wife Michele, his devoted manager, Christine Russell, his five children, and six grandchildren.
His words expressed what so many people were feeling but didn’t know how to say. If you want to join his loved ones in honoring him, look at the names of the songwriters under the titles of songs. Among the titles associated with me, you’ll often find Gerry’s name next to mine.”
The relationship of Goffin and King is one of the focal points of the Tony Award-nominated musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which is currently on Broadway.
Of their relationship, Goffin told Vanity Fair in 2001, “She was interested in writing rock’n’roll, and I was interested in writing this Broadway play. So we had an agreement where she would write [music] to the play if I would write [lyrics] to some of her rock’n’roll melodies. And eventually it came to be a boy-and-girl relationship. Eventually I began to lose heart in my play, and we stuck to writing rock’n’roll.”
The New York Times provides a more in-depth obit of Goffin here. And through his PeekYou profile you can explore his music and life, as it is available, shared, and documented throughout cyberspace.
And now a couple of personal selections from from the estimable Goffin / King songbook.
1967 Carole King solo single, “Road to Nowhere”:
1966 Carole King demo for “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” which was a top 10 hit for The Monkees in 1967:
Comments