Wes Farrell facts for kids

Wes Farrell (born December 21, 1939 – died February 29, 1996) was an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He was very active in the 1960s and 1970s, creating many popular songs.

Wes Farrell's Music Journey

Wes Farrell was born in New York City. He wrote, produced, or published nearly 500 songs during his career. He started making music in the 1960s.

Early Hits and Famous Songs

One of his first big successes was the song "Boys". He co-wrote it with Luther Dixon. This song was on the B-side of the Shirelles' hit song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" in 1960. Later, in 1963, the Beatles covered "Boys" for their first album, Please Please Me.

Farrell's most famous song as a writer was "Hang On Sloopy". The McCoys made it a number-one hit in the US in 1965. He co-wrote this song with Bert Russell. "Hang On Sloopy" is still one of the most played songs in popular music history. In 1985, it even became the official rock song for the State of Ohio!

He also helped create other popular songs:

• "Baby Let Me Take You Home" by the Animals (1964).
• "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans (1964).
• "Let's Lock the Door (And Throw Away the Key)" by Jay and the Americans (1965).
• "Come on Down to My Boat" by Every Mother's Son (1967).
• "Happy Summer Days" by Ronnie Dove (1966).

In 1966, Wes Farrell wrote the theme song for the American version of the first Gamera monster movie, called Gammera the Invincible.

Producing Music for TV and Movies

Wes Farrell became a successful producer in 1968. He produced "Indian Lake" for the Cowsills, which was a Top Ten hit. He also produced other songs for them, like "Poor Baby."

He was then chosen to produce music for The Partridge Family. This was a popular TV show about a singing family, similar to the Cowsills. The show starred Shirley Jones and David Cassidy. David Cassidy sang on most of the songs for the show.

Farrell co-wrote the theme song, When We're Singin'. He also wrote 30 other songs for the Partridge Family's albums. Some of their hits he co-wrote include:

• Doesn't Somebody Want to Be Wanted (1971)
• I'll Meet You Halfway (1971)

He also produced music for the band Elephant's Memory. Their songs "Jungle Gym at the Zoo" and Old Man Willow were in the 1969 movie Midnight Cowboy. Later, he produced two albums for British singer Lulu in the mid-1970s.

In 1972, Wes Farrell started his own record company called Chelsea Records.

Wes Farrell's Family Life

Wes Farrell was married four times and had three children. In 1965, he married Joan Arthurs, and they had a daughter. He later married actress and singer Tina Sinatra in 1974. In 1978, he married actress Pamela Hensley. His last marriage was to Jean Inman, and they had two children together.

Wes Farrell passed away in 1996 in Coconut Grove, Florida, at the age of 56. He died from cancer.