Gerry Goffin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gerry Goffin
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Gerald Goffin |
| Born | February 11, 1939 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | June 19, 2014 (aged 75) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Lyricist |
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Gerald Goffin (born February 11, 1939 – died June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. This means he wrote the words for songs. He first worked with his wife, Carole King. Together, they wrote many popular songs in the 1960s. Some of their biggest hits included "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "The Loco-Motion". People said Goffin was good at finding words that expressed how young people felt.
After he and King divorced, Goffin wrote songs with other composers. He worked with Barry Goldberg and Michael Masser. With Masser, he wrote "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" and "Saving All My Love for You". These also became number one hits. During his career, Goffin wrote over 114 songs that appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Eight of these songs reached the top spot. He also had 72 hits in the UK. In 1990, he was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Carole King.
Contents
Biography
Early Life and Education
Gerry Goffin was born in New York City. As a child, he enjoyed making up lyrics in his head. When he was a teenager, he worked for his grandfather. After finishing Brooklyn Technical High School, he joined the Marine Corps Reserve. He also studied at the United States Naval Academy for a year. Later, he left the Navy to study chemistry at Queens College.
Working with Carole King
At college, Goffin met Carol Joan Klein. She was already writing songs as Carole King. They started working together, with King writing the music and Goffin writing the words. They also began a relationship. In August 1959, they got married. Goffin was 20 and King was 17.
Goffin started working for a chemicals company. He wrote lyrics for King's song "Oh Neil" in 1959. This song was an answer to "Oh! Carol" by her friend Neil Sedaka. Goffin and King soon got contracts to write songs professionally. They worked for Don Kirshner's Aldon Music company in Manhattan.
Goffin and King quickly became a very successful songwriting team. Their first big hit was "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". Goffin wrote the lyrics for this song. The Shirelles recorded it, and it became number one in January 1961. They wrote many other famous songs, including:
- "Take Good Care of My Baby" (for Bobby Vee)
- "The Loco-Motion" (for Little Eva, and later Kylie Minogue)
- "Go Away Little Girl" (for Steve Lawrence, and later Donny Osmond)
- "One Fine Day" (for the Chiffons)
- "Up on the Roof" (for the Drifters)
- "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (for Aretha Franklin)
In 1963, John Lennon of The Beatles said he wanted Paul McCartney and himself to be like "the Goffin-King of England." Goffin and King divorced in 1969.
Other Songwriting Work
Goffin also wrote songs with other composers in the early 1960s. He worked with Barry Mann on "Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)". He also worked with Jack Keller on "Run to Him".
After his divorce from King, Goffin released a solo album in 1973. It was called It Ain't Exactly Entertainment, but it was not very popular. He then started working with other composers again. These included Russ Titelman, Barry Goldberg, and Michael Masser.
Goffin and Masser were nominated for an Academy Award in 1976. This was for the theme song to the movie Mahogany, sung by Diana Ross. They also wrote "Saving All My Love for You", a huge hit for Whitney Houston. Other songs they wrote together include "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" and "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You".
Later Life and Recognition
Goffin and King were honored together in 1987. They were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 1990, they were also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 1996, Goffin released his second solo album, Back Room Blood. He co-wrote most of the songs with Barry Goldberg. The album also included two songs he wrote with Bob Dylan. Goffin thought of Dylan as "sort of like a god." Goffin was one of the first people to notice Kelly Clarkson's talent. He hired her to sing demo songs before she became famous on American Idol in 2002.
Goffin and his wife Michele attended the opening night of "Beautiful". This musical tells the story of his marriage with Carole King.
Family Life
Gerry Goffin was married to Carole King from 1959 to 1969. They had two daughters, Louise Goffin and Sherry Goffin Kondor. Louise is also a singer-songwriter.
He later married Barbara Behling in the early 1970s. They had a son named Jesse Dean Goffin. They divorced later that decade. Goffin then married songwriter Ellen Minasian in the 1980s. They had a daughter named Lauren. After their divorce, he married actress Michele Conaway in 1995.
Death
Gerry Goffin passed away on June 19, 2014. He was 75 years old. He died in Los Angeles, California. His wife, Michele, announced his death. He was survived by his wife, one son, four daughters, and six grandchildren.
Tributes to Gerry Goffin
When Carole King heard about his death, she said Goffin was her "first love." She said he had a "profound impact" on her life. King added that his words "expressed what so many people were feeling but didn't know how to say." She also said, "Gerry was a good man and a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come." Barry Goldberg, who wrote many songs with Goffin later in his career, called him "one of the greatest lyricists of all time."
See also
In Spanish: Gerry Goffin para niños
- List of songs with lyrics by Gerry Goffin
Discography
Albums
- It Ain't Exactly Entertainment (1973), Adelphi Records Inc – AD4102
- Back Room Blood (1996), Genes Records – GCD 4132
- It Ain't Exactly Entertainment Demo & Other Sessions (2010), Big Pink – BIG PINK 92
Singles and EPs
- It's Not the Spotlight (1973), Adelphi Records Inc – AD-452
- Back Room Blood (The CD Single) (1996), Genes Records – GCD 4532
