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When Rock ‘n Roll Was Young He Wrote Some of Its Most Memorable Lyrics. More Than 50 of the Songs — Many Written With His Ex-Wife, Carole King, Became Top 40 Hits. Gerry Goffin Dead at 75

Jun 19, 2014  •  Post A Comment

"Gerry Goffin, 75, a prolific and multi-dimensional lyricist who with his then-wife and songwriting partner Carole King wrote such hits as 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow,' ''(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,' ''Up on the Roof' and 'The Loco-Motion,' died early Thursday at his home in Los Angeles," the Associated Press reports, adding, "His wife, Michelle Goffin, confirmed his death."

The story continues, "King said in a statement that Goffin was her 'first love' and had a 'profound impact' on her life. 'Gerry was a good man with a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come,' King said. 'His words expressed what so many people were feeling but didn't know how to say.'"

Goffin "penned more than 50 top 40 hits," the article notes.

Adds the AP story, "Goffin was born in Brooklyn in 1939 and was working as an assistant chemist when he met King at Queens College.

" 'She was interested in writing rock 'n' roll, and I was interested in writing this Broadway play,' Goffin told Vanity Fair in 2001. '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.'

"A whirlwind romance led to a marriage and their first hit, when she was only 17 and he was 20, 'Will You Love Me Tomorrow' for the Shirelles, which a pregnant King helped write while suffering morning sickness.

Wikipedia has a full list of the songs written by Goffin and King that you can read if you click here.

Here's a video of The Shirelles singing Goffin and King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow." It hit #1 on the charts.

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