Gerry Goffin (born Gerald Goffin, February 11, 1939, Brooklyn, New York) is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.

Career

Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from Brooklyn Technical High School. After spending a year at the U.S. Naval Academy, he resigned from the Navy to study chemistry at Queens College.

He married Carole King in September 1960, and the husband-wife team pursued a successful songwriting career, notably as part of the famous Brill Building songwriting team. Their breakthrough hit was 1961's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow", which was recorded by The Shirelles and later, Dusty Springfield. Although they divorced in 1968, the two continued to work together for some years afterwards. They are the parents of singer-songwriter Louise Goffin.

In addition to King, Goffin also collaborated with other songwriters, notably Barry Mann, Russ Titelman, Barry Goldberg and Michael Masser. Works produced by these collaborations include:

• "It's Not the Spotlight" with Barry Goldberg, recorded by Rod Stewart
• "So Sad the Song" with Michael Masser, recorded by Gladys Knight & the Pips (nominated for a Golden Globe Award)
• "Yes I Will" with Russ Titelman, recorded by The Hollies, The Monkees and others

More recent works attributed to Goffin are:

• "Time, Don't Run Out On Me"; recorded by Anne Murray
• "A Long and Lasting Love"; recorded by Glenn Medeiros

In 1995, Goffin remarried. He was one of the first people to take notice of Kelly Clarkson's talent, and had hired her to do demo work prior to her auditioning for American Idol in 2001.

Today, Goffin lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Songs by Goffin

Year	Song	Songwriters	Performer	U.S. Hot 100	Cover versions
1960	"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"	Goffin & King	The Shirelles	#1	Dusty Springfield (in 1964), Cher (in 1966), The Four Seasons (#24, 1968), Linda Ronstadt (in 1970), Carole King (in 1971, Roberta Flack (#76, 1972), Melanie, (#82, 1973), Dana Valery, (#95, 1976), Dave Mason (#39, 1978), Laura Branigan (in 1984), Joe Walsh (in 1992)
1961	"Who Put The Bomp "	Goffin & Mann	Barry Mann	#7
1961	"Every Breath I Take"	Goffin & King	Gene Pitney
1961	"Run To Him"	Goffin & Keller	Bobby Vee	#2	Donny Osmond (in 1972)
1961	"Take Good Care of My Baby"	Goffin & King	Bobby Vee	#1	Dion and the Belmonts (later in 1961), Smokie (in 1981), Bobby Vinton, Stephen Collins, The Beatles (in 1962), Dick Brave
1961	"Halfway To Paradise"	Goffin & King	Tony Orlando	#39	Billy Fury
1961	"Some Kind of Wonderful"	Goffin & King	The Drifters	#32	Marvin Gaye (in 1968), King (in 1971); not the same song as the Grand Funk Railroad hit
1962	"Chains"	Goffin & King	The Cookies	#17	The Beatles (in 1963), King (in 1980)
1962	"Keep Your Hands Off My Baby"	Goffin & King	Little Eva	#12	The Beatles (in 1964)
1962	"The Loco-Motion"	Goffin & King	Little Eva	#1	The Chiffons (in 1963), Grand Funk Railroad (in 1974, #1), King (in 1980), Kylie Minogue (in 1988, #3), Tina Turner, Dwight Yoakam
1962	"He Hit Me "	Goffin & King	The Crystals	-	The Motels (in 1982)
1962	"When My Little Girl Is Smiling"	Goffin & King	The Drifters	#28
1962	"Point Of No Return"	Goffin & King	Gene McDaniels	#21
1962	"Go Away Little Girl"	Goffin & King	Steve Lawrence	#1	Donny Osmond (in 1971, #1)
1962	"Up on the Roof"	Goffin & King	The Drifters	-	Kenny Lynch (UK #10, in 1962), King (in 1970), Laura Nyro (in 1970), James Taylor (in 1979 (#28)), Neil Diamond (in 1993), Billy Joe Royal, Peter Cincotti
1963	"Don't Say Nothing Bad "	Goffin & King	The Cookies	#7
1963	"Hey Girl"	Goffin & King	Freddie Scott	#10	Donny Osmond (in 1972, #9), King (in 1980), Billy Joel (in 1997)
1963	"One Fine Day"	Goffin & King	The Chiffons	#5	Rita Coolidge (in 1979, #66), King (in 1980, #12), Aaron Neville (in 1993), Natalie Merchant (in 1996)
1964	"I Can't Hear You No More"	Goffin & King	Betty Everett	#66	Dusty Springfield (in 1965), King (in 1970), Helen Reddy (in 1976, #29)
1964	"I'm into Something Good"	Goffin & King	"Earl-Jean" McCrea	#38	Herman's Hermits (later in 1964, #13)
1964	"Oh No Not My Baby"	Goffin & King	Maxine Brown	#24	Manfred Mann (in 1965), Dusty Springfield (in 1965), Aretha Franklin (in 1970), Rod Stewart (in 1973, #59), King (in 1980), Cher (in 1992), Linda Ronstadt (in 1994)
1965	"Just Once in My Life"	Goffin & King & Spector	The Righteous Brothers	#9
1966	"Don't Bring Me Down"	Goffin & King	The Animals	#12	Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (in 1986); not the same song as the Electric Light Orchestra hit
1966	"Goin' Back"	Goffin & King	Dusty Springfield	-	The Byrds (in 1968, #86), King (in 1980)
1967	"Pleasant Valley Sunday"	Goffin & King	The Monkees	#3
1967	" A Natural Woman"	Goffin & King	Aretha Franklin	#8	King (in 1971), Laura Nyro (in 1971), Rod Stewart (in 1974), Mary J. Blige (in 1995), Celine Dion (in 1995)
1968	"Porpoise Song"	Goffin & King	The Monkees	#62
1968	"Wasn't Born to Follow"	Goffin & King	The Byrds		The Lemon Pipers (in 1968), King (in 1980)
1969	"Don't Forget About Me"	Goffin & King	Dusty Springfield	#64
1969	"I Can't Make It Alone"	Goffin & King	Dusty Springfield	-	Maria McKee (in 1993)
1970	"Hi-De-Ho "	Goffin & King	Blood, Sweat and Tears	#14	Dusty Springfield (in 1969, unreleased until 1999), King (in 1980)
1971	"Smackwater Jack"	Goffin & King	Carole King
1973	"I've Got to Use My Imagination"	Goffin & Goldberg	Gladys Knight and The Pips	#4
1975	"Theme from Mahogany "	Goffin & Masser	Diana Ross	#1
1975	"It's Not The Spotlight"	Goffin & Goldberg	Rod Stewart
1980	"Someone That I Used To Love"	Goffin & Masser	Natalie Cole	#21
1983	"Tonight I Celebrate My Love"	Goffin & Masser	Roberta Flack & Peabo Bryson	#16
1985	"Saving All My Love for You"	Goffin & Masser	Whitney Houston	#1
1987	"Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You"	Goffin & Masser	Glenn Medeiros	#12	George Benson (in 1984)
1989	"Miss You Like Crazy"	Goffin & Masser	Natalie Cole	#7

Discography

• It Ain't Exactly Entertainment (1973)
• Back Room Blood (1995)

References

1. Allmusic biography by William Ruhlmann

External links

• Rock Hall of Fame
• History of Rock