30 – THE SINGER/SONGWRITER

The singer/songwriter was really nothing new. In fact, as far back as the 1930's, Tin Pan Alley styled writers like Hoagy Carmichael had enjoyed successful careers as performers and before that, the great George M. Cohan had personally introduced most of his own hits. In the late 1950's, teen idol Paul Anka performed self-penned material, later emerging as a well respected songwriter. And during the 1960's, song stylist Anthony Newley whose collaborator was Lesley Bricusse (1931 – ) designed songs suited strictly to his distinctive theatrical vocal style.

In the early part of the century, composers had often hired songpluggers to demonstrate their material to established singing stars. It was then the belief that most songwriters were incapable of popularizing their own songs.

One major breakthrough which seemed to open the door for modern day singer/songwriters was the emergence of The Beatles and the many other self sufficient writer/performer artists of the mid 1960's. In fact, since The Beatles, it has been quite difficult for non-writing performers to be taken seriously. Previously, The Brill Building had reigned supreme as the chief writing centre for American pop culture. However, the new rock groups of the 1960's were no longer dependent on assembly line songwriters and practically put The Brill Building composers and their clients out of business. Several gifted songwriters with performing aspirations such as Carole King and Neil Diamond who had cut their musical teeth as staff writers, saw that it was entirely possible to eliminate the middle man and promote one's own songs.

The late 1960's and especially the early 1970's became a heyday for the singer/songwriter. During that time, a large segment of the record buying public craved a more soothing, intimate, personal alternative to loud abrasive rock music. Also, many music fans had become curious about the writers themselves and found it fascinating to seek out the origins of their favourite songs. It was much easier to relate on a personal level to an artist who had experienced and wrote about the feelings associated with the songs. The singer/songwriters were not just interpreters of the material, they were the source.

In the beginning, these artists often accompanied themselves, usually on piano or guitar. Later, these were augmented by a full band or orchestra.

Much of the lyric content was autobiographical and often very personal. Fans loved being let in on the private lives of their favourite artists and often, trying to pinpoint who or what a specific song was about became quite a titillating pastime. For instance, Paul Anka had written about his much publicized crush on an older girl called Diana Ayoub in his hit song, "Diana." Joni Mitchell's personal relationships were well documented in her material. Her affair with Graham Nash was clearly the subject matter of the song "Willy." Elton John's close friendship with British bluesman Long John Baldry was passionately expressed in his gripping "Someone Saved My Life Tonight."

Bob Dylan had already kicked open the door for the mass acceptance of folk oriented performers, enabling singer/ songwriter/artist/poets such as Joni Mitchell to achieve the immediate stature they so rightfully deserved. At the end of the 1960's, many of the pretty faced tinsel tarnished pop stars had been somewhat abandoned for stark truth and passion. Good looks were no longer a requirement. Substance was king. Now, songwriters were not just the faceless names printed on the back of album jackets. They had become stars in their own right, creators of the music and performers with their own followings.

The artists listed in this chapter cover a vast scope of modern music styles from folk, folk rock, pop, rock, country and avant-garde to balladeers and middle of the road performers.

PAUL ANKA

• See The Great 1950's Pop Stars - The Canadian Invasion

CAROLE KING

• Carole Klein (Feb. 9, 1942 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in Brooklyn, New York.
• Began singing while in high school in The Co-Sines.
• 1958 - Married lyricist/pianist Gerry Goffin (Feb. 11, 1939 – ) who also became her collaborator on hit songs they composed while working as staff writers at The Brill Building.
• March, 1959 - Her debut single, "Baby Sittin'" flopped.
• Oct., 1959 - Neil Sedaka's hit song, "Oh Carol" was written for her as a tribute. She wrote an answer song titled "Oh Neil" which flopped.
• Goffin & King wrote a great many hits including four #1 songs - "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"(1960) (The Shirelles), "Take Good Care Of My Baby"(1961) (Bobby Vee), "Go Away Little Girl"(1962) (Steve Lawrence) and "The Loco-Motion"(1962) (Little Eva) (see The Brill Building - Goffin & King).
• Aug., 1962 - Her first solo hit, "It Might As Well Rain Until September" went to #22.
• Jan., 1967 - Formed Tomorrow Records, releasing an album by Myddle Class who's bassist Charles Larkey later became King's second husband.
• 1968 - Divorced Goffin, retaining custody of both children Sherry and Louise.
• 1968 - Goffin formed a songwriting partnership with keyboardist/ songwriter Barry Goldberg to write country material.
• 1968 - Formed an unsuccessful trio called The City with Danny Kortchmar and Charles Larkey.
• March, 1970 - Released her debut solo album, "Writer."
• 1971 - Toured with singer/songwriter James Taylor.
• 1971 - Her classic "Tapestry" album remained on the charts for 250 weeks and won 4 Grammys.
• Unfortunately, she was unable to match the remarkable success of "Tapestry" and subsequent albums seemed somewhat lackluster in comparison.
• May 25, 1973 - Her Sunset Concert in New York City's Central Park attracted 100,000 fans.
• 1979 - Her daughter Louise Goffin enjoyed a brief recording career, having a minor hit with a remake of "Remember (Walking In The Sand)"(Aug., 1979)#43.
• 1986 - Composed the film score for "Murphy's Romance."
• Jan., 1990 - Goffin & King were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
• 1993 - Released the "Colour Of Your Dreams" album.
• Hits include "It's Too Late"(May, 1971)#1-5 wks., "I Feel The Earth Move"(May, 1971)#1-5 wks., "So Far Away"(Aug., 1971)#14, "Sweet Seasons"(Jan., 1972)#9, "Jazzman"(Aug., 1974)#2, "Nightingale"(Jan., 1975)#9 and "One Fine Day"(May, 1980)#12.

JACKIE DeSHANNON

• Sharon Myers (Aug. 21, 1944 – )
• Singer/songwriter/actress born in Hazel, Kentucky.
• 1950 - Age 6, had her own radio program.
• 1956 - Age 12, she performed on and produced her own radio program.
• 1959 - First recorded as Sherry Lee Myers on Glenn.
• 1960 - Moved to Los Angeles, California.
• Appeared in several TV series including "My Three Sons," "Wild Wild West" and "Name Of The Game."
• 1964 - Undertook a promo tour of Britain, also recording there on Liberty.
• 1964 - Toured the U.S. with The Beatles in 26 concerts.
• Film appearances include "Surf Party"(1964), "C'Mon Let's Live A Little"(1967) and "Hide And Seek."
• 1975 - Wrote "Bette Davis Eyes" with Donna Weiss and recorded it on her "New Arrangement" album. The song became a massive hit in 1981 for Kim Carnes.
• Writer of over 600 songs to date, her material has been covered by such artists as Brenda Lee, The Byrds, The Searchers, Rick Nelson and Bobby Vee.
• Married to composer/film scorer Randy Edelman.
• DeShannon possesses a unique husky singing style.
• Hits include "Faded Love"(Feb., 1963)#97, "Needles And Pins"(May, 1963)#84, "When You Walk In The Room"(Jan., 1964)#99, "What The World Needs Now Is Love"(May, 1965)#7, "Put A Little Love In Your Heart"(June, 1969)#4, "Love Will Find A Way"(Nov., 1969)#40 and "Don't Let The Flame Burn Out"(Oct., 1977)#68.

NEIL DIAMOND

• Noah Kaminsky (Jan. 24, 1941 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/actor born in Brooklyn, New York.
• 1948 - Age 7, moved to Memphis, Tennessee.
• 1951 - Age 10, played with The Memphis Backstreet Boys, singing in the streets.
• 1954 - Age 13, ran away from home.
• 1954-1956 - Back in New York, sang with the folk group The Road Runners.
• 1961 - First recorded for Dual Records.
• 1962 - Staff writer for the New York publishing company Sunbeam Music.
• Worked as a song plugger for The Brill Building, later becoming a staff writer, composing songs for Sonny & Cher, The Ronettes and Jay & The Americans.
• 1965 - His first successful song was the # 18 hit, "Sunday And Me," recorded by Jay & The Americans.
• Song credits include "I'm A Believer"(1966) (The Monkees), "The Boat That I Row"(1967) (Lulu) and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"(1967) (The Monkees).
• May, 1966 - His recording of "Solitary Man" went to #55.
• Between 1966 and 1968, his compositions accounted for the sales of 12 million singles.
• By the 1970's, his hits had become more lyrically ambitious.
• 1973 - Signed a $5 million deal with CBS.
• 1973 - Composed the score for the film, "Jonathan Livingston Seagull."
• 1980 - Starred in and composed the music for the third remake of the film, "The Jazz Singer."
• March, 1984 - Inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
• A charismatic performer with swarthy good looks and a distinctive baritone voice.
• Toured well into the 1990's.
• Oct. 29, 1996 - Released "In My Lifetime," an elaborate 3 CD boxed set featuring his greatest hits plus 16 unreleased tracks.
• Hits include "Cherry Cherry"(Aug., 1966)#6, "Kentucky Woman" (Oct., 1967)#22, "Brother Love's Travelling Salvation Show"(Feb., 1969)#22, "Sweet Caroline"(June, 1969)#4, "Holly Holy"(Nov., 1969)#6, "Cracklin' Rosie"(Aug., 1970)#1, "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother"(Nov., 1970)#20, "I Am ... I Said"(March, 1971)#4, "Song Sung Blue"(May, 1972)#1, "Play Me"(Aug., 1972)#11, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"(Oct., 1978)#1-2 wks. (with Barbra Streisand), "Love On The Rocks"(Nov., 1980)#2, "Hello Again" (Jan., 1981)#6, "America"(April, 1981)#8, "Yesterday's Songs" (Nov., 1981)#11, "Heartlight"(Sept., 1982)#5 and "Headed For The Future"(May, 1986)#53.

LEONARD COHEN

• (Sept. 21, 1934 – )
• Singer/songwriter/poet/novelist born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
• Nicknamed "The Bard Of The Bedsets."
• 1951 - With Mike Doddman, formed the country square-dance band, The Buckskin Boys.
• During the 1950's, as a poet, recited his works to jazz backing.
• Novels include "The Favourite Game"(1963) and "The Beautiful Losers"(1966).
• 1967 - Appeared at The Newport Folk Festival.
• April, 1968 - Released his debut album, "Songs Of Leonard Cohen."
• Both Judy Collins (1966) and Noel Harrison (1967) recorded hit versions of his classic song, "Suzanne."
• Other standards include "So Long Marianne," "Sisters Of Mercy," "Bird On A Wire," "First We Take Manhattan" and "Ain't No Cure For Love."
• Aug. 30, 1970 - Appeared at The Isle Of Wight Festival.
• 1977 - Phil Spector produced his "Death Of A Lady's Man" album.
• Basically a shy unassuming man with a monotone voice, he nevertheless manages to spellbind audiences like few others.
• 1986 - Jennifer Warnes, his one-time backup singer released a satisfying tribute album titled "Famous Blue Raincoat."
• 1991 - Cohen was awarded Canada's Juno Hall Of Fame Award.
• Hits include "Suzanne"(1968), "Bird On A Wire"(1968) and "Closing Time"(1992).

JANIS IAN

• Janis Eddy Fink (April 7, 1951 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist born in East Orange, New Jersey.
• Daughter of a music teacher.
• 1963 - Age 12, began composing.
• 1965 - Age 14, moved to New York City, adopting her brother's first name as her last.
• 1965 - The folk magazine Broadside published her "Hair Of Spun Gold."
• May, 1967 - Her controversial "Society's Child" went to #14. The song was concerned with interracial dating and was banned by some radio stations. The song had been featured on a Leonard Bernstein TV program about the new revolutionary music.
• "A plain Jewish girl with fuzzy hair" was her self description.
• 1969 - Performed at The Newport Folk Festival.
• 1970 - Age 19, went into retirement, returning in 1974.
• 1974 - Wrote "Stars," later a hit for both Glen Campbell and Cher. Her plaintive "Jesse" became a hit for Roberta Flack.
• Her career has been sporadic, making an impressive yet brief comeback with the hit, "At Seventeen"(June, 1975)#3.
• 1978-1988 - Married to Portuguese writer Tino Sargo.
• 1993 - In her "Breaking Silence" album, Ian came out as a lesbian.
• March, 2000 - Released the "god & the FBI" album.
• Albums include "Janis Ian"(1967), "For All The Seasons Of The Mind"(1968), "The Secret Life Of J. Eddy Fink"(1968) and "Between The Lines"(1975).

VAN MORRISON

• George Ivan (Aug. 31, 1945 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/saxophonist born in Belfast, Ireland.
• Nicknamed "The Belfast Cowboy."
• 1956 - Age 11, sang in a skiffle group.
• 1961 - Played saxophone with The Monarchs who had an instrumental hit in Europe with "Twangy Baby"(1963).
• 1963 - Formed the classic garage band Them (see The British Invasion). During this period, he wrote the much recorded garage band anthem, "Gloria."
• June, 1966 - After the group disbanded, moved to New York to pursue a solo career.
• March, 1967 - Signed a solo contract with songwriter/producer Bert Berns to his Bang label.
• July, 1967 - His recording of "Brown Eyed Girl" went to #10 US.
• Dec., 1967 - Berns died of a heart attack.
• 1968 - Signed with Warner Brothers, recording the classic "Astral Weeks" album in Oct., 1968.
• April, 1970 - His critically acclaimed "Moondance" album hit #29.
• Jan., 1971 - Moved to California where he recorded the famous "Tupelo Honey" album, reaching #27 in Dec.
• 1972 - Recorded the critically acclaimed "St. Dominic's Preview" album featuring "Listen To The Lion" and "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile)."
• 1989 - Collaborated with Cliff Richard on the duet, "Whenever God Shines His Light."
• Jan. 12, 1993 - Inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame although he did not attend.
• A blue eyed soul stylist, Morrison possesses a distinctive nasal whine. He is an experimental artist of great depth, flirting with jazz and R&B, yet maintaining strong Celtic elements in his music.
• Hits include "Domino"(Nov., 1970)#9, "Crazy Love"(1970), "Moondance"(1970), (re-released in 1977)#92, (Nov., 1977)#92, "Blue Money"(Feb., 1971)#23, "Wild Night"(Oct., 1971)#28, "Tupelo Honey"(Jan., 1972)#47 and "Wavelength"(Sept., 1978)#42.

CAT STEVENS

• Steven Demetri Georgiou (July 21, 1947 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Soho, London, England.
• The son of a Greek restauranteur on London's Shaftesbury Avenue.
• 1962 - Age 15, learned to play the guitar and began writing songs.
• 1966 - Began playing folk music while attending Hammersmith College.
• Discovered by ex-Springfield member Mike Hurst.
• May, 1967 - His debut album, "Matthew And Son" went to #7 UK.
• 1968 - After contracting tuberculosis, his vocal intonation changed drastically, giving him a unique low gutteral sound.
• Dec., 1970 - His successful "Tea For The Tillerman" album was critically acclaimed and eventually hit #8.
• Composer of the classic "The First Cut Is The Deepest," originally a hit for British singer P. P. Arnold, later recorded by both Keith Hampshire and Rod Stewart.
• Dec., 1977 - Converted to the Muslim religion, taking the new name Yusef Islam and retired from showbusiness in Feb., 1979.
• 1984 - Set up Muslim Aid for famine relief in Africa.
• March, 1993 - Became President of The Islamic Association Of North London.
• Hits include "I Love My Dog"(Oct., 1966)#28 UK, "Matthew And Son" (Jan., 1967)#2 UK, "Lady D'Arbanville"(June, 1970)#8 UK, "Wild World"(Feb., 1971)#11 US, "Moon Shadow"(June, 1971)#30 US, (Aug., 1971)#22 UK, "Peace Train"(Sept., 1971)#7 US, "Morning Has Broken"(Jan.,1972)#9 UK, (April, 1972)#6 US, "Oh Very Young" (March, 1974)#10 US, "Another Saturday Night"(Aug.,1974)#19 UK, #6 US, "Ready"(Dec.,1974)#26 US and "(Remember The Days Of The) Old School Yard"(June, 1977)#44 UK, #33 US.

MELANIE

• Melanie Safka (Feb. 3, 1947 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Queens, New York.
• Began singing on the New York and New Jersey coffee club circuit.
• 1967 - Released her debut single, "Beautiful People" on CBS.
• May, 1969 - Buddah Records president Neil Bogart signed her and introduced her to producer Peter Schekeryk, her future husband.
• 1969 - Released the "Born To Be" album.
• Aug., 1969 - Her career took off after her appearance at The Woodstock Pop Festival.
• Often compared vocally to Edith Piaf.
• Dec., 1970 - Her version of The Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" became a #33 British hit.
• June, 1971 - With her husband, formed Neighborhood Records.
• June, 1973 - Quit performing, distraught about being stereotyped as a hippie flower child.
• 1975 - Failed comeback attempt.
• 1994 - Performed at the original site of the Woodstock Festival rather than appear at the Woodstock '94 concert.
• Hits include "Lay Down (Candles In The Rain)"(April, 1970)#6 (with The Edwin Hawkins Singers), "What Have They Done To My Song Ma"(1970), "Peace Will Come (According To Plan)"(Aug., 1970)#32, "Brand New Key"(Oct., 1971)#1-3 wks., and "The Nickel Song"(Jan., 1972)#35.

BOYCE & HART

• Tommy Boyce (Sept. 29, 1944 - Nov. 23, 1994)
• Singer/songwriter/arranger born in Charlottesville, Virginia.
• Bobby Hart (1944 – )
• Singer/songwriter born in Phoenix, Arizona.
• Formed a songwriting partnership while working at The Brill Building.
• 1966 - Moved to Hollywood, California where they signed on with Screen Gems to write for The Monkees.
• Together they wrote songs for other artists including The Monkees hits, "Last Train To Clarksville"(1966), "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone"(1966) and "Valleri"(1968).
• 1967 - Began performing and recording as a duo.
• By 1968, they had written over 300 songs.
• Since June, 1964, their compositions have sold over 42 million in records.
• Nov. 23, 1994 - Boyce committed suicide.
• Hits include "Out And About"(July, 1967)#39, "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight"(Dec., 1967)#8, "Goodbye Baby"(April, 1968)#53 and "Alice Long"(July, 1968)#27.

LAURA NYRO

• (Nov. 28, 1943 - April 8, 1997)
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in The Bronx, New York.
• Daughter of a jazz trumpeter.
• 1951 - Age 8, began composing.
• 1966 - Signed to Verve Records.
• One of the finest writers in pop music history, as a performer she was considered too far out for her time.
• Her speciality was her preachy gospel flavoured material fused with street level lyricism.
• 1967 - Flopped terribly at The Monterey Pop Festival after presenting a flashy Las Vegas style performance.
• 1968-1971 - Signed to Columbia Records, managed by David Geffen.
• 1971-1975 - Inactive in recording.
• Writing credits include "Stoned Soul Picnic"(1968) (The Fifth Dimension), "Wedding Bell Blues"(1969) (The Fifth Dimension), "Eli's Coming"(1969) (Three Dog Night), "And When I Die"(1969) (Blood, Sweat & Tears) and "Stoney End"(1970) (Barbra Streisand).
• 1984 - Released the gospel influenced "Mother's Spiritual" album.
• April 8, 1997 - Died of ovarian cancer.
• Her only charted single was "Up On The Roof"(Oct., 1970)#92.
• Recommended album - "More Than A New Discovery"(1966), re-issued as "The First Songs."

BOBBIE GENTRY

• Roberta Lee Streeter (July 27, 1944 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/banjoist/pianist/bassist born in Chickasaw County, Mississippi.
• Raised in Greenwood, Mississippi.
• 1951 - Age 7, wrote her first song, "My Dog Sergeant Is A Good Dog."
• 1957 - Age 13, moved to Palm Springs, California.
• A student of The Los Angeles Conservatory Of Music.
• Changed her professional name after seeing the film, "Ruby Gentry."
• Aug., 1967 - Her dramatic recording of "Ode To Billie Joe" went to #1-4 wks. The song, concerning a suicide in a rural Southern town became the subject of a film in 1976.
• 1967 - Won Grammy Awards for Best Solo Female Performance, Best Arrangement, Best Contemporary Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.
• During the late 1960's, hosted her own TV show in Britain.
• 1969 - Her recording of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" went to #1 UK.
• Oct. 15, 1978 - Married singer/songwriter Jim Stafford.
• Hits include "Let It Be Me"(Jan., 1969)#36 (with Glen Campbell) and "Fancy"(Nov., 1969)#31.

RANDY NEWMAN

• Gary Newman (Nov. 28, 1943 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• His uncles Emil, Lionel and Alfred Newman were respected film composers.
• Raised in Hollywood, California.
• 1949 - Age 6, began playing piano.
• 1962 - Became a staff writer for Metric Music.
• 1967 - Became staff arranger for Reprise Records.
• 1968 - Released his debut album on Reprise.
• Avant-garde composer, capable of creating wistful ballads such as "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today"(1966) (Judy Collins) and "Love Story"(1969) (Peggy Lee), yet able to write quirky unique melodies with biting lyrics like "Simon Smith And His Amazing Dancing Bear"(1967) (The Alan Price Set) and "Mama Told Me Not To Come"(1970) (Three Dog Night).
• In performance, Newman exhibits a charming eccentric vocal style punctuated with tongue in cheek delivery. Noted for pushing the public's buttons, his material is often way over their heads.
• Nicknamed "The Mark Twain Of Rock."
• 1970 - Nilsson recorded "Nilsson Sings Newman," an entire album of his songs.
• Nov., 1977 - Newman angered numerous misguided individuals who took offence to his #2 hit, "Short People" (from the "Little Criminals" album), a scathing attack on bigotry.
• Although he has never quite managed to break through commercially as a performer, he has scored several films including "Ragtime" (1981), "The Natural"(1984) and "Avalon"(1990).

NILSSON

• Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 - Jan. 15, 1994)
• Singer/songwriter born in Brooklyn, New York.
• 1953 - Age 12, moved to California.
• Phil Spector gave him his first break by using his compositions, "Paradise" and "Here I Sit" for The Ronettes.
• 1967 - Recorded on Mercury as Johnny Niles.
• 1967 - Signed with RCA as Nilsson.
• March, 1968 - Released his debut album, "Pandemonium Shadow Show."
• Song credits include "Cuddly Toy"(1967) (The Monkees), "1941" (1968) (Tom Northcott and "One" (1969) (Three Dog Night).
• March, 1970 - Released the "Nilsson Sings Newman" album, a collection of Randy Newman songs.
• April, 1971 - His animated fantasy film, "The Point" became a cult item and won several major awards. The soundtrack album hit #25.
• Scored the films, "Skidoo"(1966), "Popeye"(1980) and the TV series, "The Courtship Of Eddie's Father."
• 1973 - His beautiful "A Little Touch Of Schmilsson In The Night" album, a collection of standards featured The Gordon Jenkins Orchestra.
• A highly imaginative and eccentric songwriter, he never performed publicly. His two biggest hits were written by other composers.
• Feb. 14, 1993 - Suffered a heart attack.
• Jan. 15, 1994 - Died in Los Angeles after a heart attack.
• Hits include "Everybody's Talkin' (theme from "Midnight Cowboy)" (Aug., 1969)#6, "Without You"(Dec., 1971)#1-4 wks., "Coconut" (June, 1972)#8 and "Spaceman"(Sept., 1972)#23.

JONI MITCHELL

• Roberta Joan Anderson (Nov. 7, 1943 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist/guitarist/artist/poet born in the small town of Pierce, near Fort McLeod, Alberta, Canada.
• 1952 - Stricken with polio.
• 1963 - While attending The Southern Alberta Institute Of Technology in Calgary, she worked at a local folk club called The Depression.
• Moved to Toronto, Ontario where she performed at The Penny Farthing coffee house in Yorkville.
• 1964 - Played at The Mariposa Folk Festival, composing her first song, "Day After Day."
• June, 1965 - Married singer Chuck Mitchell from Detroit, Michigan where they moved briefly. The duo began playing the east coast coffee house circuit.
• Six months later, the marriage dissolved. She wrote the song, "I Had A King" about the relationship.
• 1966 - After playing the Toronto coffee house circuit, she left for New York City where she played The Cafe Au Go-Go.
• June, 1968 - Her debut album, "Joni Mitchell" (sometimes known as "Song For A Seagull") was released.
• Many performers including Judy Collins, Buffy Sainte Marie, Tom Rush and The Fairport Convention began recording her songs.
• Oct., 1969 - Released the classic "Clouds" album featuring "Chelsea Morning," "The Fiddle And The Drum," "I Don't Know Where I Stand" and the much recorded "Both Sides Now."
• Feb. 1, 1969 - Debuted at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
• Aug., 1969 - Composed her famous song, "Woodstock" concerning the landmark rock festival that summer. The song later became a huge hit for both Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and Matthews' Southern Comfort.
• May, 1970 - Released her "Ladies Of The Canyon" album, hitting #27 and going gold.
• March, 1974 - Her "Court And Spark" album was her first totally electric endeavour.
• During the 1970's, she explored both rock and jazz, continuing to break down musical boundaries.
• She remains one of music's most personal and confessional writers, always intense and unique.
• Writing credits include "The Circle Game"(1967) (Buffy Sainte Marie), "Both Sides Now"(1968) (Judy Collins) and "This Flight Tonight"(1973) (Nazareth).
• Nov. 21, 1982 - Married her bassist Larry Klein in Malibu.
• June, 1997 - Inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
• March, 2000 - Released her "Both Sides Now" album of classic torch and jazz material. It featured a full orchestra and included a gloriously moody version of the title track.
• Hits include "Big Yellow Taxi"(July, 1970)#67, (Dec., 1974)#24, "You Turn Me On, I'm A Radio"(Nov., 1972)#25, "Raised On Robbery" (Dec., 1973)#65, "Help Me"(March, 1974)#7, "Free Man In Paris" (July, 1974)#22 and "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"(Nov., 1982)#47.

NEIL YOUNG

• (Nov. 12, 1945 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
• Raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
• 1963 - Formed his first group Neil Young & The Squires, playing the Winnipeg coffee house circuit. They released their debut single, "The Sultan" in Sept., 1963.
• After The Squires disbanded, moved back to Toronto where he formed The Mynah Birds with Rick James and Bruce Palmer.
• March, 1966 - Moved to Los Angeles, California where he and Palmer joined The Buffalo Springfield (see The Summers Of Love). His two major songs recorded by the group were "Mr. Soul" and "Broken Arrow."
• Sept., 1966 - Hospitalized following an epileptic seizure.
• May, 1968 - The Buffalo Springfield disbanded.
• Jan., 1969 - His debut solo album, "Neil Young" was a failure.
• May, 1969 - His second album, "Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere" was released. His new band was Crazy Horse (The Rockets bar band from Los Angeles) consisting of guitarist Danny Whitten ( – Nov. 18, 1972), drummer Ralph Molina and bassist Billy Talbot.
• July, 1969 - Joined Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. It was a loose arrangement, performing and recording with them whenever he was available. Songwriting credits include "Helpless" and "Ohio."
• Sept., 1970 - Released his classic "After The Goldrush" album featuring the scathing "Southern Man." The title track became a #22 hit in Oct., 1974 for the English folk trio Prelude.
• March, 1972 - His "Harvest" album hit #1 and featured "The Needle And The Damage Done."
• July, 1979 - Released his "Rust Never Sleeps" album, hitting #8.
• Musically, Young crosses boundaries effortlessly. He is his music. He refuses to compromise, indulging in his eccentricities and retaining his 1960's hippie persona. He is noted for his unique, casual vocal style.
• Nov., 1988 - Reunited briefly with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young.
• During the 1990's, became an influence on the grunge music scene.
• Young has defiantly refused to promote products with his art.
• Jan. 12, 1995 - Inducted into The Rock And Roll hall Of Fame.
• 2000 - Toured again with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.
• March, 2000 - Released the "Silver & Gold" album including "Buffalo Springfield Again," an homage to his days in the Buffalo Springfield.
• Hits include "Cinnamon Girl"(June, 1970)#55, "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"(Oct., 1970)#33, "Heart Of Gold"(Feb., 1972)#1, "Old Man"(April, 1972)#31, "Four Strong Winds"(Feb., 1979)#61, "Little Thing Called Love"(Jan., 1983)#71, "This Note's For You"(July, 1988) and "Rockin' In The Free World"(Sept., 1989).

ROD McKUEN

• Rodney Marvin McKuen (April 29, 1933 – )
• Singer/songwriter/poet/actor/writer born in Oakland, California.
• 1949 - Worked as a disc jockey.
• 1954 - Wrote his first book, "Elephants In The Rice Paddies" and his first song, "Soldiers Who Want To Be Heroes."
• 1957-1958 - Composed music for Universal and 20th Century Fox.
• 1959 - Composed the novelty hit, "The Mummy"(Aug., 1959)#39 by Bob McFadden and Dor (McKuen).
• Famous for his mild manner and raspy, folkie voice.
• 1969 - Wrote the song, "Jean" for the film, "The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie." It became a #2 hit for Oliver in Aug., 1969.
• Other writing credits include "Sing Boy Sing"(1958) (Tommy Sands), "The World I Used To Know"(1964) (Jimmie Rodgers), "If You Go Away"(1966) (Damita Jo) and "Seasons In The Sun"(1974) (Terry Jacks).
• Some of his output such as "If You Go Away" and "Seasons In The Sun" were collaborations with Jacques Brel.
• Poetry collections include "Listen To The Warm"(1967) and "Lonesome Cities"(1968).
• By 1976, over 16 million copies of his books were in print and his songs had sold over 100 million records.
• His only charted solo hit was "Oliver Twist"(Jan., 1962)#76.

JACQUES BREL

• (April 8, 1929 - Oct. 9, 1978)
• Singer/songwriter/author born in Schaerbeck, Belgium.
• One of the few great French chansonniers to gain global popularity.
• 1953 - Moved to Paris, France.
• 1964 - His live "Music For The Millions" album was a success.
• His intense performances and melodramatic material made him an international star.
• Composer of over 400 songs.
• Writing credits include "If You Go Away" (Frank Sinatra), "Amsterdam" (David Bowie), "Next" (Alex Harvey), "Marieke" (Judy Collins), "Les Bourgeois" and "Vieillir (If I Grow Old)."
• His English language translators include Rod McKuen and Mort Shuman (Pomus & Shuman).
• 1967 - Retired from touring due to ill health.
• 1967 - Shuman created and appeared in the stage show, "Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris." The show included the Brel classic, "If We Only Have Love."
• Jan., 1974 - His song, "Le Moribond," translated as "Seasons In The Sun" became #1 hit for Terry Jacks. The song had also been recorded by The Kingston Trio in 1964 and Frank Sinatra.
• 1974 - Diagnosed with lung cancer.
• Spent the last few years of his life as a recluse in Polynesia.
• 1977 - Recorded his last album, "Brel."
• Oct. 9, 1978 - Died of cancer in Bobigny, France.

MICKEY NEWBURY

• (May 19, 1940 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Houston, Texas.
• 1963 - Moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
• Worked as a staff writer for Acuff-Rose.
• Writing credits include "Funny Familiar Forgotten Feelings"(1966) (Don Gibson), "Sweet Memories"(1968) (Andy Williams), "Just Dropped In"(1968) (Kenny Rogers & The First Edition), "An American Trilogy"(1972) (Elvis Presley) and "Diamonds And Rust" (1975) (Joan Baez).
• 1981 - Released the compilation album, "After All These Years."
• Hits include "An American Trilogy"(Nov., 1971)#26 and "Sunshine" (July, 1973)#87.

ELTON JOHN

• Reginald Kenneth Dwight (March 25, 1947 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in Pinner, Middlesex, England.
• 1965 - Keyboardist for Bluesology at The Cromwellian Club in London. The group also served as a backup band for many top ranking American artists touring England.
• Played in Steampacket with Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll and Rod Stewart.
• Took his stage name from musicians Elton Dean and Long John Baldry.
• 1967 - Formed a songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin (May 22, 1950 – ) born in Sleaford, England.
• March, 1968 - Released his debut solo single, "I've Been Loving You Too Long."
• 1969 - John & Taupin's "I Can't Go On Living Without You" was recorded by Cilla Black.
• June, 1969 - His debut album, "Empty Sky" was released.
• Aug. 25, 1970 - His first live appearance in the U.S. took place at The Troubadour club in Los Angeles, California. His backup band featured bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson who became his long-time sidemen.
• Nov., 1970 - His recording of "Your Song" went to #8 US.
• Chubby spectacled Elton was the least probable rock star ever. He proved the sceptics wrong however with his colourful unpredictable stage extravaganzas and versatile soulful vocals.
• His sophisticated material was well crafted, capable of transcending fads and trends. Songs were extremely personal and often emotionally draining.
• Feb., 1972 - Guitarist Davey Johnstone joined his band.
• May, 1973 - Formed his own company Rocket Records.
• 1973 - Recorded the classic double album, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" which topped the US charts for 2 months featuring the wistful "Candle In The Wind," a glowing tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
• 1975 - Played the part of the Pinball Wizard to the hilt in the screen version of The Who's rock opera, "Tommy."
• June, 1975 - Gave a brilliant performance at a massive concert at London's Wembley Stadium.
• May, 1992 - John and Taupin were inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
• After a failed marriage, he publicly declared his homosexuality on a 1994 Barbara Walters TV special.
• John is one of the most visible performers in the ongoing fight against AIDS.
• Jan. 19, 1994 - Inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
• March 27, 1995 - Won an Oscar for "Can You feel The Love Tonight" from the film, "The Lion King."
• Sept. 6, 1997 - Performed "Candle In The Wind" at the funeral of Princess Diana. The recording of the piece, later titled "Goodbye English Rose" sold over 31.5 million copies in 8 wks.
• Feb. 24, 1998 - Became Sir Elton John when he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.
• Feb., 2000 - Received The Grammy Legend Award.
• 2000 - Collaborated with Tim Rice on the score for the animated film, "The Road To El Dorado."
• Sept., 2001 - Released the "Songs From The West Coast" album.
• Hits include "Rocket Man"(May, 1972)#6, "Honky Cat"(Aug., 1972) #8. "Crocodile Rock"(Dec., 1972)#1-3 wks., "Daniel"(April, 1973) #2, "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting"(Aug., 1973)#12, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"(Oct., 1973)#2, "Bennie And The Jets" (Feb., 1974)#1, "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"(June, 1974)#2, "The Bitch Is Back"(Sept., 1974)#4, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds"(Nov., 1974)#1-2 wks., "Philadelphia Freedom"(March, 1975)#1-2 wks., "Island Girl"(Oct., 1975)#1-3 wks., "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"(Nov., 1976)#6, "Little Jeannie"(May, 1980)#3, "Blue Eyes"(July, 1982)#12, "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"(Oct., 1983)#4, "Sad Songs"(June, 1984)#5, "Nikita"(Jan., 1986)#7, "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (June, 1988)#2, "Healing Hands"(Aug., 1989)#13, "Sacrifice"(Jan., 1990)#18, "The One"(Sept., 1992)#9, "Can You Feel The Love Tonight"(Aug., 1994)#4, "Circle Of Life"(Oct., 1994)#18, "Believe"(May, 1995)#13, "Something About The Way You Look Tonight"(Sept., 1997), "I Want Love"(Nov., 2001) and "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore"(2002).

KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

• (June 22, 1936 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/actor born in Brownsville, Texas.
• Son of a 2 star general.
• 1958 - Attended Oxford University in England on a Rhodes Scholarship.
• While in England, began recording and writing songs under the name Kit Carson.
• 1965 - Became an English teacher at West Point for a time.
• 1965 - Moved to Nashville, obtaining a job at Columbia, cleaning its Nashville Studios.
• By the late 1960's, Roger Miller had boosted his notoriety considerably by recording 3 of his songs.
• Aug., 1970 - Johnny Cash had a #46 hit with his "Sunday Morning Coming Down."
• July, 1971 - His classic album, "Silver Tongued Devil And I" went to #21.
• Song credits include "For The Good Times"(1970) (Ray Price), "Help Me Make It Through The Night"(1971) (Sammi Smith) and "Me And Bobby McGee"(1971) (Janis Joplin).
• Aug. 19, 1973-Dec. 2, 1979 - Married to singer Rita Coolidge.
• Film appearances include "Cisco Pike"(1971), "A Star Is Born" (1976), "Heaven's Gate"(1981) and "Millenium"(1989).
• Noted for his distinctive raspy vocal style and streetsmart lyrics, Kristofferson's happy-go-lucky drifter appeal made him a success in films.
• March 18, 1985 - Inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
• Sept., 1985 - Became a member of The Highwaymen with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash.
• Hits include "Loving Her Was Easier"(Aug., 1971)#26, "Why Me" (April, 1973)#16 and "Watch Closely Now"(May, 1977)#52.

PAUL WILLIAMS

• (Sept. 19, 1940 – )
• Singer/songwriter/actor born in Omaha, Nebraska.
• Brother of songwriter Mentor Williams who wrote "Drift Away" for Dobie Gray.
• Former apprentice jockey.
• With songwriting partner Roger Nichols, he composed "We've Only Just Begun"(1970) and "Rainy Days And Mondays"(1971), both #2 hits for Carpenters.
• Other writing credits include "You And Me Against The World" (Helen Reddy) and "An Old Fashioned Love Song" (Three Dog Night).
• A sophisticated composer in the grand tradition of Tin Pan Alley, Williams' forte is moody love ballads.
• 1974 - Starred in and composed the songs and music for "Phantom Of The Paradise."
• 1976 - With Barbra Streisand, he wrote "Love Theme From A Star Is Born (Evergreen)"(Dec., 1976)#1-3 wks. (Barbra Streisand).
• Later acquired a new songwriting partner in producer/arranger/ pianist Ken Ascher.
• Film appearances include "The Planet Of The Apes"(1968), "Smokey And The Bandit"(1977), "The End"(1977) and "The Doors"(1991).
• Hits include "Someday Man"(1970), "Waking Up Alone"(Feb., 1972) #60 and "Life Goes On"(1973).

JIMMY BUFFETT

• (Dec. 25, 1946 – )
• Singer/songwriter born in Mobile, Alabama.
• Writer of easy-going, witty material.
• 1969 - Moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
• 1970 - Recorded the "Down To Earth" album for Barnaby.
• 1972 - Settled in Key West, Florida.
• March, 1973 - Released his successful album, "A White Sport Coat And A Pink Crustacean."
• April, 1974 - Wrote and performed the music for as well as appearing in the film, "Rancho Deluxe."
• 1977 - Released the "Changes In Attitude" album.
• May, 1978 - Appeared in the film, "FM."
• 1987 - Became the chairman of the Save The Manatee Committee.
• Owner of a store called "Margaritaville" and has his own clothing line.
• 1995 - Released the "Barometer Soup" album.
• Hits include "The Great Filling Station Holdup"(May, 1973)#58 C&W, "Come Monday"(May, 1974)#58 C&W, #30, "Maragitaville"(April, 1977)#13 C&W, #8, "Changes in Lattitudes, Changes In Attitudes" (Sept., 1977)#37, (Oct., 1977)#24, "Cheeseburger In Paradise" (April, 1978)#32, "Manana"(Dec., 1978)#84, "It's My Job"(Feb., 1981)#57 and "If The Phone Doesn't Ring, It's Me"(Sept., 1985)#16 C&W.

JESSE WINCHESTER

• James R. Winchester (May 17, 1944 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist born in Shreveport, Louisiana.
• Raised in Memphis, Tennessee.
• 1967 - Moved to Canada to avoid the draft where Robbie Robertson of The Band got him a contract with Ampex.
• 1970 - His debut album, "Jesse Winchester," produced by Robertson was released.
• 1973 - Became a Canadian citizen.
• His forte is country flavoured pop.
• Song credits include "Biloxi," "The Brand New Tennessee Waltz" and "Yankee Lady."
• Hits include "Nothing But A Breeze"(Aug., 1977)#86 and "Say What" (April, 1981)#32.

BILL WITHERS

• (July 4, 1938 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Slab Fork, West Virginia.
• Overcame a stuttering problem with speech therapy.
• 1964 - Age 26, after leaving the Navy, began singing and playing guitar.
• 1967 - Moved to Los Angeles, California.
• 1970 - Began recording for Sussex Records.
• Sept., 1971 - Released his debut album, "Just As I Am."
• March, 1972 - Received the Best R&B Song Grammy for "Ain't No Sunshine."
• Noted for his catchy soulful songs dominated by repetitive choruses, Withers has a knack for drawing the listener into his material.
• 1985 - Released the "Watching You, Watching Me" album.
• Hits include "Ain't No Sunshine"(July, 1971)#3, "Grandma's Hands" (Oct., 1971)#42, "Lean On Me" (April, 1972)#1-3 wks., "Use Me" (Aug., 1972)#2, "Kissing My Love"(Feb., 1973)#31 and "Just The Two Of Us"(Feb., 1981)#2 (with Grover Washington Jr.).
• Recommended single - "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh"(April, 1974)#50.

JAMES TAYLOR

• James Vernon Taylor (March 12, 1948 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Boston, Massachusetts.
• All of his siblings were musical. Sister Kate Taylor (Aug. 15, 1949 – ) and brothers Alex and Livingston Taylor (Nov. 21, 1950 – ) all recorded to varying degrees of success.
• 1964 - Performed with his brother Alex in The Fabulous Corsairs.
• July, 1966 - In New York City, joined bassist Danny Kortchmar (aka: Danny Kootch) in The Flying Machine, releasing the single, "Brighten Your Night With My Day."
• Nov., 1968 - In an move to kick his heroin dependency, he moved to London, England where he recorded for producer Peter Asher on The Beatles' Apple Records.
• Dec., 1968 - Released his debut album, "James Taylor." Back in America, he entered The Austin Riggs Hospital in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in an attempt to kick his addiction.
• Dec., 1969 - Recorded his "Sweet Baby James" album with Kootch and Carole King. It was released in March, 1970.
• Sept., 1970 - His controversial recording of "Fire And Rain" went to #3 US. One of the most intense songs ever to hit the pop charts, it concerned Taylor's drug problems and his time spent in a mental institution. Critical acclaim for his accompanying album put him in the upper echelons of pop music.
• Nov. 3, 1972-1982 - Married to singer Carly Simon. They recorded successfully as a duo (see Carly Simon).
• His early approach was acoustic but later offerings featured full electric accompaniment.
• Feb., 2003 - His "October Road" was nominated for a Grammy Award.
• Hits include "You've Got A Friend"(June, 1971)#1, "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight"(Dec., 1972)#14, "Mockingbird"(Feb., 1974)#5 (with Carly Simon), "Shower The People"(July, 1976)#22, "Handy Man"(June, 1977)#4 and "Her Town Too"(March, 1981)#11 (with J.D. Souther).

CARLY SIMON

• (June 25, 1945 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist born in New York City.
• Her father, Richard L. Simon was the co-founder of the Simon & Schuster Publishing Company.
• During the early 1960's, performed with her sister Lucy as The Simon Sisters and had a minor hit with "Winkin' Blinkin' And Nod" (April, 1964)#73. They broke up after Lucy's marriage in 1965.
• April, 1971 - Her recording of "That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be," written with lyricist Jacob Brackman went to #10.
• March, 1972 - Won The Best New Artist Grammy Award.
• Nov. 3, 1972-1982 - Married to singer/songwriter James Taylor. They also recorded as a duo.
• Her material for the most part was more commercial than that of her contemporaries. Since then, she has experimented with hard rock, jazz, standards and torch songs.
• During the 1990's, fought a battle with breast cancer.
• May, 2000 - Released the "Bedroom Tapes" album.
• Hits include "Anticipation"(Dec., 1971)#13, "You're So Vain" (Dec., 1972)#1-3 wks., "Mockingbird"(Feb., 1974)#5 (with James Taylor), "Haven't Got Time For The Pain"(May, 1974)#14, "Attitude Dancing"(May, 1975)#21, "Nobody Does It Better"(July, 1977)#2, "You Belong To Me"(April, 1978)#6, "Jesse"(Aug., 1980)#11, "Coming Around Again"(Nov., 1986)#18 and "Let The River Run" (March, 1989)#49.

DON McLEAN

• (Oct. 2, 1945 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/poet born in New Rochelle, New York.
• 1963 - Began working in the coffee house circuit, his first engagement being The Bitter End.
• Later, joined Pete Seeger's Clearwater Project.
• 1968 - While performing at Cafe Lena, he was labelled "The Hudson River Troubadour."
• He was turned down by 38 record companies before getting a contract.
• Oct., 1970 - Released his debut album, "Tapestry."
• Nov., 1971 - His classic 8 minute recording of "American Pie" went to #1-4 wks. and caused endless discussion by fans and critics alike.
• His devastatingly beautiful "Vincent"(March, 1972)#12, a dirge to artist Vincent Van Gogh has been covered by many performers. One of the most passionate renditions was delivered by Jane Olivor on her 1976 debut album.
• April, 1972 - Perry Como had a #29 hit with McLean's "And I Love You So."
• Jan., 1973 - The #1 hit song, "Killing Me Softly With His Song," recorded by Roberta Flack was supposedly inspired by McLean's ability to touch a listener with his passionate performances. The song was written by Lori Lieberman.
• 2000 - Madonna had a hit with her version of McLean's "American Pie."
• Hits include "Dreidel"(Dec., 1972)#21, "Crying"(Jan., 1981)#5 and "Since I Don't Have You"(April, 1981)#23.

PAUL SIMON

• Paul Frederic Simon (Nov. 5, 1941 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Newark, New Jersey.
• 1955 - Age 14, copyrighted his first song, "The Girl For Me."
• 1957 - Recorded with Art Garfunkel as Tom And Jerry.
• During the early 1960's, he worked under a series of names including Jerry Landis, Paul Kane, Harrison Gregory and True Taylor.
• 1963-1964 - Spent some time in England.
• 1965 - With Art Garfunkel, international success came as Simon And Garfunkel (see Rock And Pop Of The Sixties - Folk Rock).
• 1971 - Went solo.
• He has flirted with numerous music forms including doowop, reggae, zydeco and traditional African music.
• Laid back, difficult to work with, not exactly charismatic yet constantly on the charts. His rather nonchalant vocal style is easy on the ears and his material is catchy and sophisticated.
• Film appearances include "Annie Hall"(1977) and "One Trick Pony" (1980).
• During the 1980's, he became an anti-apartheid crusader, organizing and taking part in many concerts for various related causes.
• Aug. 16, 1983-1985 - Married to actress Carrie Fisher.
• 1986 - Released his classic "Graceland" album featuring the vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It became one of the most influential recordings of the 1980's.
• 1990 - Influenced by Brazillian music, he released the "Rhythm Of The Saints" album.
• Jan., 1998 - Debuted his stage musical, "The Capeman."
• Hits include "Mother And Child Reunion"(Feb., 1972)#4, "Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard"(April, 1972)#22, "Kodachrome"(May, 1973)#2, "Loves Me Like A Rock"(Aug., 1973)#2, "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover"(Dec., 1975)#1-3 wks., "Slip Slidin' Away"(Oct., 1977) #5, "Late In The Evening"(Aug., 1980)#6 and "You Can Call Me Al" (Aug., 1986)#23.

JACKSON BROWNE

• (Oct. 9, 1948 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/pianist born in Heidelberg, West Germany.
• 1951 - Moved to Los Angeles, California.
• 1967 - Worked with singers Tim Buckley and Nico in New York City.
• 1968 - Signed to Elektra.
• Tom Rush's recording of his song, "These Dats" brought him into prominence.
• Oct., 1971 - Signed to Asylum Records.
• March, 1972 - Released his debut album, "Jackson Browne" (sometimes titled "Saturate Before Using").
• His songs have been recorded by Linda Ronstadt, The Byrds, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez and Bonnie Raitt.
• Wrote "Doolin' Dalton," "Nightingale" and "James Dean" for The Eagles and produced Warren Zevan's debut album.
• 1973-1974 - Headlined with Linda Ronstadt on a 40 city tour.
• Second only to Joni Mitchell as the most intimate and literate of the 1970's singer/songwriters, his output was small but his influence was staggering.
• Song credits include "Song For Adam" (Kiki Dee), "Fountain Of Sorrow" (Joan Baez) and "Take It Easy" (The Eagles) (co-written with Glenn Frey).
• Famous for his benefit concerts in aid of the ecology.
• Hits include "Doctor My Eyes"(March, 1972)#8, "Here Come Those Tears Again"(Feb., 1977)#23, "Running On Empty"(Feb., 1978)#11, "Stay"(June, 1978)#20, "Boulevard"(July, 1980)#19, "Somebody's Baby"(July, 1982)#7, "Lawyers In Love"(July, 1983)#13, "Tender Is The Night"(Sept., 1983)#25 and "You're A Friend Of Mine" (Oct., 1985)#18 and "For America"(April, 1986)#30.

HARRY CHAPIN

• (Dec. 7, 1942 - July 16, 1981)
• Singer/songwriter born in Greenwich Village, New York.
• In the early days, he performed with his brothers Tom and Steve.
• 1969 - His film documentary, "Legendary Champions" was nominated for an Oscar.
• In the late 1960's, formed a band with bassist John Wallace, cellist Tim Scott and acoustic guitarist Ron Palmer.
• Dec., 1971-1980 - Signed to Elektra.
• 1972 - Released his debut album, "Heads And Tails."
• Noted for his colourful narrative songs, almost all of his material had an eerie melancholy feel.
• Later, his brother Tom hosted a children's TV program called "Make A Wish."
• July 16, 1981 - Died in an automobile accident on the Long Island Expressway while en route to a benefit concert.
• Hits include "Taxi"(March, 1972)#24, "W.O.L.D."(Jan., 1974)#36, "Cat's In The Cradle"(Oct., 1974)#1 and "Sequel"(Nov., 1980)#23.

JIM CROCE

• (Jan. 10, 1943 - Sept. 20, 1973)
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist/accordionist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• Writer of bittersweet narratives and witty street scenarios, Croce's songs were of and about the common man.
• 1961-1965 - Operated a campus radio station at Villanova University and played in local bands.
• 1967 - Moved to New York City.
• 1968 - Recorded with his wife Ingrid on Capitol, recording "Approaching Day."
• July, 1972 - His recording of "You Don't Mess Around With Bill" went to #8.
• Sept. 20, 1973 - Croce, lead guitarist Maury Muehleisen and his road manager were killed in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
• May 30, 1990 - Posthumously inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
• Hits include "Operator"((Oct., 1972)#17, "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" (April, 1973)#1-2 wks., "I Got A Name"(Oct., 1973)#10, "Time In A Bottle"(Nov., 1973)#1-2 wks., "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song"(March, 1974)#9 and "Workin' At The Car wash Blues"(March, 1974)#32.

KENNY LOGGINS

• (Jan. 7, 1947 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Everett, Washington.
• Raised in Alhambra, California.
• 1960 - Age 13, began playing guitar.
• During the late 1960's, he played in the bands Second Helping and Gator Creek.
• Became staff songwriter for the ABC Wingate publishing house and wrote "House At Pooh Corner" for The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.
• 1972-1976 - He was part of the duo of Loggins And Messina. Jim Messina (Dec. 5, 1947 – ) from Maywood, California had been a member of the legendary group The Buffalo Springfield.
• Hits together include "Your Mama Don't Dance"(Nov., 1972)#4, "My Music"(Nov., 1973)#16 and "Growin"(April, 1975)#52.
• Loggins wrote Anne Murray's 1973 hit, "Danny's Song."
• 1977 - Went solo.
• 1979 - Co-wrote The Doobie Brothers hit, "What A Fool Believes."
• Solo hits include "Whenever I Call You Friend"(July, 1978)#5, "This Is It"(Oct., 1979)#11, "I'm Alright"(July, 1980)#7, "Heart To Heart"(Nov., 1982)#15, "Footloose"(Jan., 1984)#1-3 wks., "Danger Zone"(May, 1986)#2, "Meet Me Half Way"(March, 1987)#11 and "Nobody's Fool"(July, 1988)#8.

JIM STAFFORD

• (Jan. 16, 1944 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Eloise, Florida.
• Known for his humourous country flavoured narratives.
• Began in The Shilos with Gram Parsons and Kent Lavoie (aka: Lobo).
• His first recording, "Swamp Witch" was produced by Lavoie. After the session, signed with M.G.M. and moved to Los Angeles, California.
• 1975 - Hosted his own TV variety series.
• Oct. 15, 1978 - Married singer Bobbie Gentry.
• He has been dubbed "The O'Henry Of Lyrics" and "The Hitchcock Of Rock."
• During the 1990's, became a mainstay of the Branson, Missouri scene.
• Hits include the million selling "Spiders And Snakes"(Nov., 1973) #3, "My Girl Bill"(April, 1974)#12 and "Wildwood Weed"(July, 1974)#7.

GILBERT O'SULLIVAN

• Raymond Edward O'Sullivan (Dec. 1, 1946 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in Waterford, Ireland.
• 1959 - Age 13, moved to Swindon, England.
• Worked in 2 groups, The Doodles and The Prefects.
• 1965 - Recorded 2 unsuccessful singles for Columbia.
• 1970 - Signed by manager/producer Gordon Mills who changed his name to Gilbert O'Sullivan.
• Dec., 1970 - His debut single, "Nothing Rhymed" hit #8 UK.
• Began appearing in a costume consisting of knee length trousers, hob-nail boots, waistcoat and cap. Later, he changed the look, adapting a preppie style featuring a sweater with a "G" on the front.
• Early British hits include "We Will" and "No Matter How I Try."
• O'Sullivan and Mills were involved in a 6 year legal dispute. In 1982, O'Sullivan won his case, receiving due income from Mills.
• Sept., 1980 - O'Sullivan's last charted hit went to #19 UK.
• Hits include "Alone Again Naturally"(June, 1972)#1-6 wks., "Clair"(Oct., 1972)#2 and "Get Down"(June, 1973)#7.

BILLY JOEL

• William Martin Joel (May 9, 1949 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in The Bronx, New York.
• Raised in Hicksville, Long Island, New York.
• 1953 - Age 4, studied piano for 11 years.
• 1964 - Formed The Echoes which later became The Lost Souls.
• 1967 - He joined a Long Island bar band called The Hassles. In July, 1992, EMI shipped out 7,500 copies of their 1967 debut album, "The Hassles" as a re-issue. With the low output, the album will remain a collector's item.
• 1970 - Recorded in the rock duo Attila with ex-Hassles drummer Jon Small.
• Used the name Bill Martin in Los Angeles, California.
• For a time, he worked as a piano bar song stylist.
• 1973 - Signed with Columbia Records, having his first charted hit with "Piano Man"(Feb., 1974)#25.
• His "New York State Of Mind" became a standard, recorded by many artists including Barbra Streisand.
• 1977 - His "The Stranger" album became the second largest seller in Columbia history to date, selling in excess of 5 million copies.
• Chameleon vocalist Joel has the uncanny ability to sound like any number of other artists such as Paul McCartney or Frankie Valli and is able to cross musical boundaries singing doowop, Motown, hard rock and new wave styled material.
• April 15, 1982 - Hospitalized for 1 month after he broke his left wrist when a car hit his motorcycle.
• May, 1982 - Divorced his wife and manager Elizabeth.
• March 25, 1985-1994 - Married to supermodel Christie Brinkley.
• 1987 - Toured and recorded in Russia.
• Dec., 1990 - Received the Grammy Living Legend Award.
• May 27, 1992 - Inducted into The Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
• 1993 - Released his "River Of Dreams" album.
• Early, 1998 - After touring with Elton John, Joel decided to retire from performing in order to devote his career to writing classical music.
• March 15, 1999 - Inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
• June, 2000 - Released the "2000 Years: The Millennium Concert" album, 2 hours of music recorded at Madison Square Garden in New York City on New Years Eve.
• Oct. 20, 2001 - Appeared at The Concert For New York City.
• Hits include "Just The Way You Are"(Nov., 1977)#3, "My Life" (Nov., 1978)#3, "You May Be Right"(March, 1980)#7, "It's Still Rock And Roll To Me"(May, 1980)#1-2 wks., "Tell Her About It" (July, 1983)#1, "Uptown Girl"(Sept., 1983)#3, "An Innocent Man" (Dec., 1983)#10, "You're Only Human"(July, 1985)#9, "Modern Woman"(June, 1986)#10, "A Matter Of Trust"(Nov., 1986)#10, "We Didn't Start The Fire"(Oct., 1989)#1-2 wks., "I Go To Extremes" (Jan., 1990)#6 and "The River Of Dreams"(Oct., 1993)#3.

TOM WAITS

• (Dec. 7, 1949 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist/accordionist/actor born in Pomona, California.
• His gruff off-kilter vocal style has actually contributed to his unlikely success as a performer.
• May, 1973 - Released his debut album, "Closing Time" which included "Ol' 55," later recorded by The Eagles.
• 1973 - Toured as the opening act for Frank Zappa.
• Oct., 1980 - His "Heartattack And Vine" featuring the song, "Jersey Girl" went to #96.
• 1983 - Composed the score for Francis Ford Coppola's "One From The Heart."
• June, 1986 - His play, "Frank's Wild Years" opened in Chicago with Waits playing the lead.
• Film appearances include "Rumblefish"(1983), "The Cotton Club" (1985), "Down By The Law"(1986) and "Ironweed"(1988).
• Sept., 1987 - Appeared at the Roy Orbison concert, " A Black And White Night."
• Nov., 1989 - Rod Stewart had a #3 hit with Waits' "Downtown Train."
• July, 1990 - Won a case against the Frito-Lay company for using a sound-alike in radio ads. He received $2,475,000 in compensation.
• Recommended albums include "Nighthawks At The Diner"(1975) and "Bone Machine"(1992).

BARRY MANILOW

• Barry Alan Pincus (June 17, 1946 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist/arranger born in Brooklyn, New York.
• 1958 - Age 12, composed his first song.
• 1961 - Age 15, had his first band.
• Studied at The Juilliard School Of Music in New York City.
• 1964 - Began arranging and composed a musical titled "The Drunkard."
• 1968 - Became the opening act for Joan Rivers.
• Arranger for the Ed Sullivan TV specials, he also wrote and sang jingles for MacDonald's, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper.
• 1971 - Spent two seasons at The Upstairs At The Downstairs cabaret in New York City in the duo, Jeanne & Barry.
• 1972 - Accompanied Bette Midler while she performed at the gay Continental Baths in New York City.
• Arranged and produced Midler's first two albums.
• 1973 - Signed to Bell as a solo artist. His first single, "Sweet Water Jones" flopped.
• Nov., 1974 - His recording of Scott English's "Mandy" went to #1. The song, originally titled "Brandy" had been a hit for English in the U.K.
• Actually, Manilow is more famous for his romantic interpretations of other writer's material. Noted for his crooning vocal style and MOR style, Manilow is often the subject of ridicule, yet his recordings are swooned over by middle age women everywhere.
• Writing credits include "Could It Be Magic"(1976) (Donna Summer) and "Daybreak"(1977) (Barry Manilow).
• 1984 - Released the jazzy "2:00 A.M. Paradise Cafe" album featuring Mel Torme, Gerry Mulligan and Sarah Vaughan.
• 1987 - Bette Midler sang his "Perfect Isn't Easy" on the soundtrack of Disney's "Oliver Twist."
• 1988 - Staged his one-man show on Broadway.
• 1994 - He released an excellent nostalgia album titled "Singin' With The Big Bands."
• Hits include "Could It Be Magic"(June, 1975)#6, "I Write The Songs"(Nov., 1975)#1, "Tryin' To Get The Feeling Again"(March, 1976)#10, "Weekend In New England"(Nov., 1976)#10, "Looks Like We Made It"(May, 1977)#1, "Can't Smile Without You"(Feb., 1978)#3, "Copacabana"(June, 1978)#8, "Somewhere In The Night"(Dec., 1978) #9, "Ships"(Oct., 1979)#9 and "I Made It Through The Rain"(Nov., 1980)#10.

LEO SAYER

• Gerard Hugh Sayer (May 21, 1948 – )
• Singer/songwriter born in Shoreham-by-Sea, Sussex, England.
• Formed the group Terraplane Blues while at art college.
• In the early 1970's, he was a member of the group Patches in London, England.
• 1972-1975 - Formed a songwriting partnership with composer David Courtney.
• June, 1973 - Roger Daltry had a #83 hit with the Courtney-Sayer song, "Giving It All Away."
• March, 1974 - Three Dog Night had a #4 hit with the Courtney-Sayer song, "The Show Must Go On."
• 1975 - Courtney was replaced by Supertramp bassist/composer Frank Farrell.
• During the early part of his career, he performed in pierrot costume and makeup.
• Managed by British singing star Adam Faith.
• Rolling Stone Magazine called him a perfect star for the 1970's.
• Sayer, a quirky creative performer has come up with some of the rock era's most endearing songs, yet remains relatively unknown.
• Hits include "Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance)"(Feb., 1975)#9, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing"(Oct., 1976)#1, "When I Need You" (Feb., 1977)#1, "How Much Love"(July, 1977)#17 and "More Than I Can Say"(Sept., 1980)#2.

MELISSA MANCHESTER

• (Feb. 15, 1951 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in The Bronx, New York.
• The daughter of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra bassoonist David Manchester.
• 1967-1968 - Staff writer for Chappel Music.
• During the early 1970's, she studied songwriting at The New York University School Of The Arts.
• Began performing as a member of Bette Midler's notorious backup vocal group The Harlettes.
• 1973 - Recorded her debut album, "Home To Myself."
• With Carole Bayer Sager, wrote her first charted hit, "Midnight Blue"(May, 1975)#6.
• 1991 - Appeared in the film, "For The Boys" with Bette Midler.
• Hits include "Just You And I"(Feb., 1976)#27, "Don't Cry Out Loud"(Nov., 1978)#10, "Pretty Girls"(Oct., 1979)#39, "You Should Hear How She Talks About You"(May, 1982)#5 and "Nice Girls"(Feb., 1983)#42.

CAROLE BAYER SAGER

• (March 8, 1946 – )
• Singer/songwriter/pianist from New York City.
• During the mid 1960's, worked at Screen Gems as a lyricist.
• Clever pop lyricist often paired with Peter Allen, Melissa Manchester and Marvin Hamlisch.
• Song credits include "A Groovy Kind Of Love"(1966) (The Mindbenders), "Midnight Blue"(1975) (Melissa Manchester), "When I Need You"(1977) (Leo Sayer), "Nobody Does It Better"(1977) (Carly Simon) and "On My Own"(1986) (Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald).
• 1979 - Sager and Hamlisch wrote songs for the Neil Simon play, "They're Playing Our Song."
• 1982 - Married composer Burt Bacharach with whom she wrote "That's What Friends Are For"(Nov., 1985)#1-4 wks., recorded by Dionne Warwick & Friends as a benefit recording for AIDS.
• Hits include "You're Moving Out Today"(Oct., 1977)#69, "Sweet Alibis"(1977) and "Stronger Than Before"(May, 1981)#30.

PETER ALLEN

• Peter Allen Woolnough (Feb. 10, 1944 - June 22, 1992)
• Singer/songwriter/pianist born in Tenterfield, Australia.
• Began his professional showbusiness career as Judy Garland's accompanist.
• 1967-1972 - Married to Liza Minnelli.
• Along with Christopher Cross and Burt Bacharach, he wrote the Oscar winning "Arthur's Theme"(Aug., 1981)#1-3 wks., recorded by Christopher Cross.
• Famous for his flashy theatrical style.
• Other song writing credits include "I Go To Rio" and "There's A Lady On The Stage."
• June 22, 1992 - Died of AIDS.
• Hits include "The More I See You"(Aug., 1976)#108 and "Fly Away" (Jan., 1981)#55.

LIONEL RICHIE

• See Motown

CHRISTOPHER CROSS

• Christopher Geppert (May 3, 1951 – )
• Singer/songwriter/guitarist born in San Antonio, Texas.
• 1972 - Performed with Flash, San Antonio's top bar band.
• 1973 - Went solo, concentrating on songwriting.
• Summer, 1978 - Discovered by Warner's A&R man Michael Ostin at The Alamo Roadhouse in Austin, Texas.
• 1980 - Released his debut album.
• With Peter Allen and Burt Bacharach, he composed the Oscar winning "Arthur's Theme"(Aug., 1981)#1-3 wks. It was his first solo hit.
• 1980 - Won the Best New Artist Grammy Award.
• Hits include "Ride Like The Wind"(Feb., 1980)#2, "Sailing"(June, 1980)#1 and "Think Of Laura"(Dec., 1983)#9.

ALSO SEE

• Chapter 11: Tin Pan Alley
• Chapter 14: Country And Western
• Chapter 15: Folk Music
• Chapter 16: Rhythm And Blues
• Chapter 20: The Brill Building
• Chapter 22: Motown
• Chapter 23: Soul
• Chapter 24: American Rock And Pop Of The Sixties - Folk Rock
• Chapter 25: The British Invasion
• Chapter 31: Rock And Pop Of The Seventies - Southern Rock
• Chapter 37: Eighties Revue
• Chapter 38: The Nineties And Beyond

BIBLIOGRAPHY