The music publishing catalog of Award-winning songwriter Gerry Goffin is the latest in a string of acquisitions for Primary Wave Music. In a deal that was announced recently, the publishing giant has partnered with Goffin’s estate to acquire a stake in the income stream of the Songwriter Hall of Fame inductees’ songs. This exciting new partnership includes a number of songs Goffin co-wrote with Carole King such as the #1 hit “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “The Loco-Motion,” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” which was famously recorded by the Shirelles in 1961.
The deal also encompasses several songs Goffin wrote with other songwriters such as Russ Titelman, Barry Goldberg, and Michael Masser which include the Oscar nominated “Theme From Mahogany (Do You Know Where You’re Going To)” and the Golden Globe nominated “So Sad the Song.” Goffin continued to write hit after hit throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, penning such classics as Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack’s platinum selling international hit “Tonight, I Celebrate My Love For You” and Whitney Houston’s “Saving All My Love For You” which catapulted the singer to stardom upon release. “Saving All My Love For You” would go on to become a global success for Houston, was her first #1 single to top the Billboard Hot 100 and earned her a Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1985.
Throughout his 4+ decade career, Gerry Goffin wrote 114 Billboard Hot 100 hits, eight of which went to #1. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
"Not only did Gerry Goffin personally impact my life, he has universally impacted the world through his extraordinary songs,” says Christine Russell, Founding Partner at Evolution Music Partners. She goes on, “Having managed Gerry Goffin’s catalogue for over twenty years, it is my pleasure and honor to be working with the incredible team at Primary Wave to continue to represent this iconic songwriter and his legendary song catalogue."
Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music, adds “The songs Gerry Goffin penned over the course of his incredible career and proven to be ageless and have stood the test of time. We are thrilled to have these iconic songs, some of which are among the greatest of all time, on our roster. We are honored to welcome him to the family of Primary Wave Music artists.”
Lyricist Gerry Goffin, who penned some of the most popular hits of the 20th century, was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1939. Following graduation from the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School, Goffin enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve, which later led to his admission to the Annapolis Naval Academy. After his first year in Annapolis, Goffin resigned and enrolled in Queens College with a chemistry major. There he met Carole King, a fellow student and education major. A lifetime musical collaboration began almost immediately. Goffin had been writing lyrics since age eight but had never been able to find a collaborator with whom he could feel comfortable. As he and King began writing, they seemed to click immediately, and music became their shared destiny. Goffin and King married in 1959 and took daytime jobs, he as an assistant chemist and she as a secretary, to support their music endeavours. At night and on weekends, they pursued their song writing career, and were signed to Aldon Music in 1960. Their first big break came that same year with a recording by The Shirelles of their song, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" During the next eight years, the team of Goffin and King enjoyed more than 50 top 40 hits, among them "Take Good Care of My Baby," recorded by Bobby Vee; "Go Away Little Girl," recorded by Steve Lawrence; “Up on the Roof," recorded by The Drifters; and many others including "The Loco-Motion," "Halfway to Paradise," "Hey Girl," "Natural Woman," "Just Once in My Life," and "Don't Say Nothin' Bad About My Baby.” Goffin also collaborated with Barry Mann on the top ten hit "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)." During the 1970s, Goffin collaborated with other songwriters such as Russ Titelman, Barry Goldberg, and Michael Masser. Goffin continued producing hits in the 1980’s and 90’s with "Tonight I Celebrate My Love," "Time, Don't Run Out on Me," "A Long and Lasting Love," and "Savin' All My Love for You.” Goffin is also credited with recognizing Kelly Clarkson's talent before her American Idol debut, hiring her to sing demos for him in 1995. And in 1996, Goffin released his second album Back Room Blood, with Bob Dylan and Barry Goldberg both appearing as co-writers, producers, and performers. Goffin was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2004, he and King were honored with The Recording Academy's Trustees Award. In 2014, Goffin and King's life in music became the subject of the hit Broadway show, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which went on to earn seven Tony nominations, winning two. The show also brought home a Grammy for Best Musical Theater album. Goffin died in Los Angeles in June 2014, at the age of 75.
