Gerry Goffin

by William RuhlmannGerry Goffin began writing lyrics as a boy in Queens, New York. In 1958, while attending Queens College, he met and married composer Carole King, who became his musical partner. In the ten years they were together, they wrote an amazing string of hit songs, four of which reached number one: Will You Love Me Tomorrow for the Shirelles and Take Good Care of My Baby for Bobby Vee in 1961, The Loco-Motion for Little Eva in 1962, and Go Away Little Girl for Steve Lawrence in 1963. Among their many other hits were Up On the Roof and (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman. The arrival of the Beatles in the U.S. in 1964 led to a trend toward singers writing their own songs, one that King took advantage of in the 1970s. Goffin, too, turned to performing with the release of the album It Aint Exactly Entertainment in 1973, but more often, he continued to work as a lyricist. In 1976, he and Michael Masser earned an Academy Award nomination for Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where Youre Going To?), a number one hit for Diana Ross. In 1985, the two wrote Whitney Houstons first chart-topping hit, Saving All My Love for You. Goffin was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. He released a second album, Back Room Blood, in 1996.