Gerry Goffin
Gerald Goffin (February 11, 1939 – June 19, 2014) was an American lyricist. Collaborating initially with his first wife, Carole King, he co-wrote many international pop hits of the early and mid-1960s, including the US No.1 hits "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", "Take Good Care of My Baby", "The Loco-Motion", and "Go Away Little Girl". It was later said of Goffin that his gift was "to find words that expressed what many young people were feeling but were unable to articulate."[1]
Gerry Goffin
Gerald Goffin
February 11, 1939
New York City, U.S.
June 19, 2014 (aged 75)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Lyricist
- Barbara Behling
- Ellen Minasian
-
Michele Conaway(m. 1995)
After he and King divorced, Goffin wrote with other composers, including Barry Goldberg and Michael Masser, with whom he wrote "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" and "Saving All My Love for You", also No. 1 hits. During his career, Goffin wrote over 114 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including eight chart-toppers, and 72 UK hits.[2] He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, with Carole King.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Goffin was born in New York City.[3] As a boy, he wrote lyrics in his head, as a game.[4] In his teen years, he worked for his grandfather, a Russian-born Jewish furrier.[5] He enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School. After a year at the U.S. Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 1961, he resigned from the Navy to study chemistry at Queens College.[6]