THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED

Two of the superstars in American music died on the same day, August 22, 2011. Though their names might not be as immediately recognizable as the musicians they wrote for, both had an impact on American and global culture that will never truly be appreciated. They helped lay the foundation of what the world thought of as American music and how people viewed America during some of its most turbulent times. They were songwriters Jerry Leiber and Nickolas Ashford.

Jerry Leiber was half of the songwriting team of Leiber and Stoller. They set the standard for blues and jazz influenced Rock N Roll. Nickolas Ashford was part of the songwriting team of Ashford and Simpson. They were the Motown sound of the late 60′s and early 70′s. Both were responsible for so many hits in the 50′s, 60′s and 70′s, their influence on music so vast, it would take forever to properly eulogize their life achievements. Some of the more popular pieces they wrote include:

Jerry Leiber

• “There Goes My Baby” (with Ben E. King (as Benjamin Nelson), Lover Patterson, and George Treadwell)
• “Hound Dog”
• “Kansas City”
• “Smokey Joe’s Cafe”
• “Yakety Yak”
• “Poison Ivy”
• “Charlie Brown”
• “Ruby Baby”
• “Stand By Me” (with Ben E. King)
• “Jailhouse Rock”
• “Love Potion No. 9″
• “Searchin’”
• “Young Blood” (with Doc Pomus)
• “Is That All There Is?”
• “I’m a Woman”
• “Lucky Lips”
• “On Broadway” (with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil)
• “Spanish Harlem” (Jerry Leiber and Phil Spector)

Nickolas Ashford

• “California Soul” (The Fifth Dimension)
• “Cry Like A Baby”(Aretha Franklin)
• “Let’s Go Get Stoned” (Ray Charles )
• “‘I Don’t Need No Doctor”(Ray Charles)
• “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”( Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
• “Your Precious Love”( Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
• “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”( Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
• “You’re All I Need to Get By”( Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell)
• “Reach Out and Touch Somebody’s Hand”( Diana Ross )
• “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (Diana Ross )

The true testament to their genius lies in the fact that after so many years their music still lives on and is enjoyed by so many, while music written in the past ten to twenty years had a shelf life of a few weeks and is now mostly forgotten.

We owe them so much. Gentlemen, good night, rest in peace, and thank-you.