Jerry Leiber and Nickolas Ashford: remember them this way

2011/aug/23 -> guardian.co.uk

It's a sad day for anyone who loves classic pop and soul songwriting as two great practitioners of the art have died. Jerry Leiber, who passed away aged 78 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure, made an indelible mark on pop with songs he created with his writing partner Mike Stoller in the late-50s and early-60s.

Nick Ashford, who died aged 70 in New York of throat cancer, wrote songs with his wife Valerie Simpson that similarly defined an era – the late-60s and early-70s. Here are some of their finest moments: please share your own below. Full obituaries will follow shortly.

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+ More about Jerry Leiber:

Beach Boys songcredits on YouKiwi: ©Jerry Leiber (Lyr)

(& Smokey Joe's Cafe was also a fave of The Beach Boys)

Most important: The team Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller wrote 90% of the music of The Coasters!