Happy birthday, Jerry Leiber

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller with young Elvis

Half of the song-writing team of Leiber & Stoller, this guy is a hero from my youth. As the article below notes, they wrote virtually every hit recorded by The Coasters in the 50s (a group that came out of a larger one called The Robins), including "Yakety Yak", "Charlie Brown", "Searchin'", "Poison Ivy". Their lyrics were usually full of wit, which made them the "literary" songwriters of the 50s just as Bob Dylan became the "literary" songwriter of the 60s. I love these guys.

clipped from www.rockhall.com "Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller have written some of the most spirited and enduring rock and roll songs: “Hound Dog” (originally cut by Big Mama Thornton in 1953 and covered by three years later), “Love Potion No. 9” (the Clovers), “Kansas City” (Wilbert Harrison), “On Broadway” (), “Ruby Baby” () and “Stand By Me” (Ben E. King). Their vast catalog includes virtually every major hit by (e.g., “Searchin’,” “Young Blood,” “Charlie Brown,” “Yakety Yak” and “Poison Ivy"). They also worked their magic on , writing “Jailhouse Rock,” “Treat Me Nice” and “You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care)” specifically for him. All totaled, Presley recorded more than 20 Leiber and Stoller songs.