As a songwriting duo, Goffin and King defined the early 1960s pop music scene. They were part of the Brill Building songwriting community in New York City, which housed some of the era’s greatest songwriters and producers. The Brill Building was essentially a hit-making factory, and Goffin and King quickly became key players, known for their uncanny ability to craft catchy, emotional, and often timeless hits.
Goffin
Gerry Goffin was born on February 11, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in a Jewish household and was musically inclined from an early age. Goffin had a strong passion for writing but initially didn’t intend to pursue it as a career. After high school, he attended the U.S. Naval Academy but left after a year.
He would thentudy chemistry at Queens College in New York. While at Queens College, Goffin’s focus shifted more towards songwriting, and it was here that he would meet Carole King, a turning point in his life. Though he initially pursued science, Goffin’s love for writing, especially lyrics, grew. He worked as a chemist during the day while pursuing his songwriting career at night.
His early songwriting success began when he teamed up with King, and they discovered they had a natural synergy—King composing melodies and Goffin writing lyrics. Their partnership would soon become one of the most successful in the history of pop music. Goffin died on June 19, 2014, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 75. His death was announced by his wife, Michele. No cause was specified. He left behind a wife, one son, four daughters, and six grandchildren.
King
Carole King was born Carol Joan Klein on February 9, 1942, in Manhattan, New York, and was raised in Brooklyn. She grew up in a middle-class Jewish family, where her mother encouraged her musical talents from an early age. Carole displayed an exceptional gift for music and started playing the piano when she was just four years old. By the time she reached high school, she was already writing her own
songs and demonstrating her musical aptitude. King attended Queens College, where she majored in music and quickly became a regular in the social scene. It was during her time at Queens that she met Gerry Goffin. They began a personal and professional relationship, marrying in 1959 while still in college. King had already begun to write and record songs, but her career truly took off when she teamed up with Goffin to write hit songs for other artists.
Goffin_and_King
Their breakthrough came with the song “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” which was recorded by The Shirelles in 1961. This became the first song written by a female (King) to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. From there, Goffin and King penned a string of hits for a wide variety of artists, including
“Take Good Care of My Baby” (Bobby Vee), “The Loco-Motion” (Little Eva), “One Fine Day” (The Chiffons), and “Up on the Roof” (The Drifters). Their songs were known for blending emotionally poignant lyrics with beautiful melodies. Goffin had a knack for writing lyrics that resonated with young listeners—often about love, longing, and heartache—while King’s melodies made them easy to sing along to and commercially successful.
A Few Goffin_and_King Songs
- 1961 “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” The Shirelles #1
- 1961 “How Many Tears” Bobby Vee
- 1961 “Take Good Care of My Baby” Bobby Vee #1
- 1961 “Some Kind of Wonderful” The Drifters #32
- 1961 “Halfway to Paradise” Tony Orlando #39
- 1961 “Every Breath I Take” Gene Pitney
- 1961 “I’d Never Find Another You” Tony Orlando
- 1961 “What A Sweet Thing That Was” The Shirelles
- 1961 “Happy Times (Are Here To Stay)” Tony Orlando
- 1961 “Walkin’ with My Angel” Bobby Vee
- 1961 “Don’t Ever Change” The Crickets
- 1961 “Dear Mr. D.J. Play It Again” Tina Robin
- 1962 “Why’d You Wanna Make Me Cry” Connie Stevens
- 1962 “He Knows I Love Him Too Much” The Paris Sisters #34
- 1962 “I’ve Got Bonnie” Bobby Rydell #18
- 1962 “When My Little Girl Is Smiling” The Drifters #28
- 1962 “I Can’t Say Goodbye” Bobby Vee
- 1962 “Her Royal Majesty” James Darren #6
- 1962 “Chains” The Cookies #17
- 1962 “Sharing You” Bobby Vee #15
- 1962 “Keep Your Hands off My Baby” Little Eva #12
- 1962 “Keep Your Love Locked (Deep In Your Heart)” Paul Petersen
- 1962 “The Loco-Motion” Little Eva #1
- 1962 “He Hit Me (It Felt Like a Kiss)” The Crystals
- 1962 “Go Away Little Girl” Steve Lawrence #1
- 1962 “Point Of No Return” Gene McDaniels #21
- 1962 “It Might As Well Rain Until September” Carole King #22
- 1962 “Up on the Roof” The Drifters #5
- 1963 “Don’t Say Nothin’ Bad (About My Baby)” The Cookies #7
- 1963 “Old Smokey Locomotion” Little Eva
- 1963 “Let’s Turkey Trot” Little Eva #20
- 1963 “He’s A Bad Boy” Carole King
- 1963 “This Little Girl” Dion #21
- 1963 “Poor Little Rich Girl” Steve Lawrence #27
- 1963 “I Can’t Stay Mad at You” Skeeter Davis #7
- 1963 “Will Power” The Cookies
- 1963 “Hey Girl” Freddie Scott #10
- 1963 “I Want To Stay Here” Steve and Eydie #28
- 1963 “One Fine Day” The Chiffons #5
- 1963 “Walking Proud” Steve Lawrence #26
- 1963 “Everybody Go Home” Eydie Gormé
- 1963 “I Can’t Stop Talking About You” Steve and Eydie #35
- 1964 “I Can’t Hear You No More” Betty Everett #66
- 1964 “I’m into Something Good” Earl-Jean #38
- 1964 “He’s in Town” The Tokens
- 1964 “Where Does Love Go” Freddie Scott
- 1964 “I Just Can’t Say Goodbye” Bobby Rydell
- 1964 “Oh No Not My Baby” Maxine Brown #24
- 1964 “Show Me Girl” Herman’s Hermits
- 1965 “At The Club” The Drifters
- 1965 “Just Once in My Life” The Righteous Brothers #9
- 1965 Hung on You” The Righteous Brothers
- 1965 “Is This What I Get For Loving You” The Ronettes
- 1965 “Some of Your Lovin'” Dusty Springfield
- 1965 “It’s Gonna Be Alright” Maxine Brown
- 1965 “I Need You” Chuck Jackson
- 1965 “Don’t Forget About Me” Barbara Lewis
- 1966 “Don’t Bring Me Down” The Animals #12
- 1966 “I Happen to Love You” The Myddle Class
- 1966 “Road to Nowhere” Carole King
- 1966 “So Much Love” Ben E. King
- 1966 “Take a Giant Step” The Monkees
- 1966 “Sweet Young Thing” The Monkees
- 1966 “Sometime in the Morning” The Monkees
- 1966 “Goin’ Back” Dusty Springfield
- 1966 “I Can’t Make It Alone” P.J. Proby
- 1966 “Yours Until Tomorrow” Dee Dee Warwick
- 1966 “On This Side of Goodbye” The Righteous Brothers –
- 1967 “Pleasant Valley Sunday” The Monkees #3
- 1967 “Star Collector” The Monkees
- 1967 “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” Aretha Franklin #8
- 1968 “Porpoise Song” The Monkees
- 1968 “I Can’t Make It Alone” Bill Medley
- 1968 “I Wasn’t Born to Follow” The Byrds
- 1970 “That Old Sweet Roll (Hi-de-Ho)” The City
- 1970 “Sweet Sweetheart” Bobby Vee
- 1971 “Smackwater Jack” Carole King #14
- 1984 “Time Don’t Run Out on Me” Anne Murray
The pair wrote songs across various genres, from girl group pop to soul, R&B, and rock ‘n’ roll. In addition to their work in the pop world, Goffin and King were skilled at adapting to the evolving music scene of the 1960s. As artists like The Beatles and Bob Dylan began to influence pop music with more sophisticated lyrics and arrangements, Goffin and King also began to evolve,
incorporating more depth and complexity into their songwriting. However, by the late 1960s, their personal relationship began to fray. They divorced in 1969, though they continued to collaborate occasionally. After their split, Carole King went on to achieve massive success as a solo artist with her iconic 1971 album Tapestry.
Goffin, meanwhile, continued to write songs, collaborating with other artists and songwriters. Though their professional partnership had ended, the songs they created together have remained beloved classics in the American pop music canon. Goffin and King’s work has endured through the decades,
with many of their songs covered and reinterpreted by different generations of artists. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 in recognition of their contributions to music. Their music not only defined the sound of early 1960s pop but also laid the foundation for much of the pop and rock songwriting that would follow.
Further Reading
Sources
- Wikipedia “Gerry Goffin” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Goffin
- Wikipedia “Carole King” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carole_King
- Wikipedia “List of songs with lyrics by Gerry Goffin” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_with_lyrics_by_Gerry_Goffin#Hits,_charted_songs_and_notable_album_tracks_by_Goffin_and_King
- The Pop History Dig “Goffin and King – Love & Music: 1950s-2010s” https://pophistorydig.com/topics/goffin-king-1960s/
- Discogs “Goffin And King” https://www.discogs.com/artist/682663-Goffin-And-King
- 45 Cat https://www.45cat.com/
