Songwriter Jerry Leiber Dies at 78
Songwriter and producer Jerry Leiber died on Monday at the age of 78.
Surrounded by family, Leiber succumbed to cardiopulmonary failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, said his longtime publicist, Bobbi Marcus.
Jerry Leiber is best known for being songwriting and producing partners with Mike Stoller. Together the team wrote several hit songs such as "Jailhouse Rock," "Hound Dog," and "Yakity Yak."
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Various artists, such as Elvis Presley, Dion and the Belmonts, the Coasters, the Drifters and Ben E. King, have performed their songs.
"He was my friend, my buddy, my writing partner for 61 years," Stoller told Time Magazine. "We met when we were 17 years old. I am going to miss him."
Known as one of the greatest songwriting teams in pop music history, Leiber and Stoller's first major hit was "Hound Dog," performed by Big Mama Thornton in 1953. The song was revamped and covered by Elvis Presley in 1956.
Despite both men being white, they derived musical inspiration from black American culture, especially Leiber who grew up in Baltimore and Los Angeles.
After several pop hits the team revamped its writing style. One of their most well known ballads is "Is That All There Is?" performed by Peggy Lee in 1969.
During their career, the team accumulated 15 no. 1 hits in several genres by 10 different artists. They have won several awards, among those are a number of Grammy's for "Is That All There Is?," as well as being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
"The music world lost today one of its greatest poet laureates," Terry Stewart, president of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum told Time Magazine on Monday.
Jerry Leiber was born on April 25, 1933 to Jewish parents who emigrated from Poland. Leiber and Stoller met in 1950 when Leiber moved to Los Angeles with his mother. The two discovered they had a shared love for blues, and rhythm and blues and began collaborating in music writing.
Their first recorded song was called "Real Ugly Woman," which was recorded and performed by Jimmy Witherspoon in 1950 for a commercial.
