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Songwriting icon Gerry Goffin dies at 75

Carole King’s ex-husband and former songwriting partner Gerry Goffin has died at the age of 75. The New York-born lyricist passed away early on Thursday (19Jun14) at his home in Los Angeles.
Goffin and King became a songwriting powerhouse in the 1960s, penning classics such as Will You Love Me Tomorrow for girl group The Shirelles, Aretha Franklin’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, and Little Eva’s The Loco-Motion, which also became a big hit for Kylie Minogue in 1988.
Among their other notable tracks include Bobby Vee’s Take Good Care of My Baby, the Monkees’ Pleasant Valley Sunday and Some Kind of Wonderful for The Drifters.
Goffin and King divorced in 1968, but he continued writing songs and scored hits with Whitney Houston’s Grammy Award-winning Savin’ All My Love for You, Marianne Faithfull’s Something Better and Gladys Knight & the Pips’ So Sad the Song from the film Pipe Dreams, which earned him and co-writer Michael Masser a Golden Globe nomination.
He and Masser also landed an Oscar nod for the theme tune to 1975 movie Mahogany, which starred Diana Ross.
Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987 and later the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
Paying tribute to her former partner, King writes, “Gerry was a good man with a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come.
“His legacy to me is our two daughters, four grandchildren, and our songs that have touched millions and millions of people, as well as a lifelong friendship.”
The former couple’s relationship has since become the subject of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

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