Jerry Leiber (1933- 2011)
Jerry Leiber– the lyricist of the legendary songwriting duo Leiber and Stoller (Mike) passed away at the age of 78. I will allow the NY Times to better eulogize him in yesterday's obituary section, but allow me to post this footage from 1965 of Willie Mae-Big Mama-Thorton singing her rendition of Hound Dog. A song written for her by Leiber and Stoller in 1952! The same song of course was covered by Elvis Presley in 1956. Apparently they were not very fond of it.
By the way, that is Buddy Guy to her left on the Fender!
Nick Ashford (1941-2011)
Nick Ashford was another singer-songwriter who– along with his wife Valerie Simpson– was responsible for writing a staggering amount of hit records over several decades. The nineteen-sixties and seventies were their real hey-day, writing songs for the likes of Diana Ross and the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Tammy Terrell, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, and just about everyone else at Motown Records.
I happen to be a sucker for Gladys Knight. Her voice stops me in my tracks! Here she is (yes, with the Pips) singing Ashford and Simpson's Didn't You Know You'd Have To Cry Sometime, from 1969.
