From the Los Angeles Times:
Ellie Greenwich, the New York songwriter behind a string of 1960s hits that gave effervescent voice to unbridled teen romance including “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Chapel of Love” and “Be My Baby,” many of them in collaboration with producer Phil Spector, died Wednesday of a heart attack, according to her niece, Jessica Weiner. She was 68.
She was being treated for pneumonia and “some other heart issues” at St. Luke’s- Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York when she suffered the heart attack, Weiner said.
“She was the greatest melody writer of all time,” Brian Wilson told The Times on Wednesday. The chief creative force of the Beach Boys, whose music was strongly influenced by many of the hits Greenwich and her husband Jeff Barry wrote with Spector, has often cited “Be My Baby” as his favorite record of all time.
“Those songs are part of the fabric of forever,” said songwriter Diane Warren, whose compositions have been recorded by Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, Whitney Houston, Mary J. Blige and dozens of others. “Her songs were written in the ’60s, and it’s 2010 almost, but they are as relevant and meaningful today as the day when they were born.”
Greenwich and Barry were part of the fabled Brill Building stable of professional songwriters that also included the teams of Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil as well as Paul Simon, Neil Sedaka and Neil Diamond.
The Shangri-Las – “Leader of the Pack”
The Ronettes – “Be My Baby”
The Crystals – “Da Doo Ron Ron”
Manfred Mann – “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”
Ike & Tina Turner – “River Deep, Mountain High”
See also:
The Songwriters Hall of Fame: Complete Ellie Greenwich Song List
SubSprawl Tribute to Ellie Greenwich
One Comment
How interesting, I have to admit I had never heard her name before. I will have to look into more of her work. Thanks for the great obits post rockist!