Image Credit: George Rose/Getty Images
Legendary songwriter Jerry Leiber, who wrote a canon’s worth of popular music with partner Mike Stolle in the years following World War II, passed away of cardiopulmonary failure earlier today. He was 78 years old.
During his 61-year run with Stoller, Leiber concocted some of the definitive songs in early rock and roll, including hits for Elvis Presley (“Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock”) and a number of rhythm and blues stars (“Stand By Me,” “Young Blood,” “On Broadway”).
Born in Baltimore, Leiber made his way to Los Angeles and met Stoller when he was still in high school. The pair bonded over their love of early blues and R&B, and they began constructing songs together almost immediately.
Stoller crafted most of the music, with Leiber taking on the role of lyricist. They sold their first song in 1950, and by 1952 scored their first real hit with “Kansas City.” In 1953, the pair formed their own record label, but really took off in 1956 when Presley took “Hound Dog” (which Leiber and Stoller had originally penned for Big Mama Thornton) and turned it into a gigantic hit when he performed it on The Milton Berle Show—the notorious television appearance that made images of Presley’s hips as dangerous as a thermo-nuclear device.
Leiber and Stoller’s success skyrocketed thanks to Presley’s continued use of their songs (including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Don’t,” and “Loving You”) and their blossoming abilities as producers—even Phil Spector apprenticed under them for a time. Though they last had a major hit in 1972 (they produced Steeler’s Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You,” which is probably most notorious for being the song that scores the ear slicing scene in Reservoir Dogs), their impact on early rock and roll is secure.
Leiber, along with Stoller, is in both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and a whole new generation was introduced to their music via Smokey Joe’s Cafe, a lavish Broadway musical review that included 39 of the duo;s classic hits. And, of course, they got their very own episode of American Idol earlier this year.
Read more on EW.com:
‘American Idol’: Discuss Leiber & Stoller night!
DVD Review: Smokey Joe’s Cafe
Music Review: Elvis Sings Leiber & Stoller
I love Stand by Me and On Broadway, what an amazing song man.. rip.
I saw Smokey Joe’s Cafe 11 times and was amazed every single time at the talent behind such songs as “Spanish Harlem”, “Stand By Me”, and all those Elvis songs. During a time when racism was rampant, Leiber and Stoller didn’t care who sang their songs, as long as the songs were performed well.
My condolences to his family, friends and us fans.
Oh wow, so much great music. He will be missed.
Their major success was writing for a group called the Coasters. A group that most young people today have never heard of but had a ton of hits in the middle to late 50′s.
RIP
God bless, and thank you for your talent.
Smokey Joe’s Cafe is one of the best shows I’ve seen. Saw it over 10 years ago and still remember the experience.
I thought Big Mama Thorton wrote “Hound Dog”?
No, Lieber and Stoller wrote it for her. Elvis’s version was a cover of some Las Vegas lounge act that had , in turn, covered Big Mama Thornton.
Actually, Lieber and Stoller knew nothing of Elvis’s version until it was already a hit. But that didn’t stop them from collecting royalties.
That’s right. Lieber and Stoller wrote Hound Dog. That’s why it always bothered me when people would accuse Elvis of being racist for ripping off Big Mama when two white guys wrote the freaking song!!!!
That’s it for american music folks. You are now completely on your own.
Such a loss for music fans today; first Jerry Leiber and now Nick Ashford, two of the very best songwriters, in my opinion.
Agree .
Sad to hear. BTW Stoller’s name is misspelled in the first paragraph: with partner Mike *Stolle* in the years…
He gave us some memorial songs, may he rest in peace!
And thanks for the good tunes!!
Oh my gosh, today is the day the music died for another generation. Thank you for a lifetime of defining songs. Rest in peace, Jerry.
I heard that song Stand by me on the radio last night, but I didn’t realize until now that he helped write it. I always enjoyed the songs that he wrote that are mentioned in this article. J. Norman mentioned the group called the Coasters that’s from the 50′s. two of the many songs that Leiber and Stoller wrote for them are: “Poisin Ivy” and “Along came Jones”. may Jerry Leiber rest in peace.
Jerry Leiber along with Stoller wrote some catchy numbers for Elvis Presley and I loved what he wrote for Ben E. King and some soul singers–they had that R&B in them along with the pop hooks. Even though I wasn’t born in that period, I heard these songs and loved them–they are classics. I am also a fan of his son Oliver Leiber, who produced and wrote Paula Abdul’s late ’80s hits. That musical lineage of his dad was really passed on to him as well. My condolences to Jerry and his family and thanks for the wonderful songs and music for artists!
An incredible legacy – hope his songs live on and on…