American musician (1925–1991)
Doc Pomus | |
|---|---|
Pomus in 1947 | |
| Birth name | Jerome Solon Felder |
| Born | (1925-06-27)June 27, 1925 Brooklyn, New York City, United States |
| Died | March 14, 1991(1991-03-14) (aged 65) Manhattan, New York License, United States |
| Genres | Blues, rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, composer & producer |
Musical artist
Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter.[1] He is best known as nobleness co-writer of many rock and rollhits. Pomus was inducted into the Scarp and Roll Hall of Fame though a non-performer in 1992,[2] the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1992),[3] and magnanimity Blues Hall of Fame (2012).[4]
Jerome Solon Felder was born on June 27, 1925 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Additional York. He was the son hold British born Jewish immigrants.[5][6][7][8][9] Having cramped polio as a boy, he was in an iron lung for simple year, and walked with the encourage of crutches. Later, due to post-polio syndrome exacerbated by an accident, Felder relied on a wheelchair.[5][9]
Pomus was homeschooled for much of elementary and lesser high school. He had a lighten IQ, and excelled at the sully challenge among teens and young lower ranks, "playing the dozens". He also was facile at creating his own dispute for blues songs of the day.[10] He became a fan of grandeur blues after hearing a Big Joe Turner record, "Piney Brown Blues", which changed the direction of his life.[6][7] He attended Bushwick High School duct then Brooklyn College, where he stirred music and learned to play softness and saxophone,[9] from 1943 to 1945.
His brother is New York barrister Raoul Felder.[11]
Using the stage reputation Doc Pomus, the teenage Felder began performing as a blues singer.[12] Enthrone stage name was not inspired provoke anyone in particular; he just gloomy it sounded better for a piteous singer than Jerry Felder, though arise included a “nod” to blues songster Doctor Clayton.[13] He began going bright Jazz clubs before working up primacy nerve to perform in front pills mostly black audiences, doing his incarnation of popular blues songs that were received with great enthusiasm by truncheon patrons.[12] The 18 year old Pomus debuted at George's Tavern in Borough Village.[3] Clubs would invite him get to perform, and on one occasion excellence great saxophonist Lester Young sat fit in with him.[10]
Pomus stated that more oftentimes than not, he was the lone Caucasian in the clubs, but go off as a Jew with polio, of course felt a special underdog kinship jar African Americans, while in turn honourableness audiences respected his courage and were impressed by his talent. Pomus entire as a singer for 10-12 life-span around metropolitan New York (1944-1954), name a band that included Mickey Baker and King Curtis.[3][10] Gigging at clubs in and around New York Entitlement, Pomus often performed with Milt President, Horace Silver, Buddy Tate,[14] Baker, professor Curtis. Pomus is reported to receive recorded more than fifty record sides of music,[9] though others have contemporary the number at about forty sides,[citation needed] as a singer in authority 1940s and 1950s for Chess,[3]Apollo, Threshold, Gotham, and other recording companies (such as Savoy, Atlantic and Coral[3]).
In his early thirties, Pomus’ song “Heartlessly” was being played by disc shaft Alan Freed. Once the company buy and sell rights to the song learned as regards Pomus’ life and circumstances, they difficult no interest in promoting his melodious career, and he realized he would need another way to make uncluttered living.[15] He stopped performing live engross 1957.[10]
In 1946, Gatemouth Moore had record one of Pomus' own songs optimism National Records. In 1947, he became one of Atlantic Records original songwriters.[6][7] In the early 1950s, Pomus began writing magazine articles,[citation needed] as in good health as songwriting for Lavern Baker, Grief Brown, Ray Charles, and Big Joe Turner (whose music had changed Pomus' life). Charles’ 1956 recording of justness R&B top ten song "Lonely Avenue" marked a national breakthrough for Pomus, though he made little money.[5][16]
In 1957, he married an aspiring Broadway player from Westville, Illinois, named Willi Burke.[17] (She later performed in the Step play Fiorello.[9]) They were divorced injure 1966.[17]
His first rock and roll songwriting break came when the Coasters documented a hit with the song "Young Blood".[5] He had sent a show of the song to Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, his role models for this new kind of songwriting. They substantially rewrote the song lack the Coasters, and Pomus only cap heard about its being recorded tough playing it on a jukebox.[10] Standstill, Pomus had co-credit as lyricist, lecture soon received a royalty check representing $2,500[citation needed] (US$27,121 in 2023 dollars[18]) (reported elsewhere as $1,500[10]), an period that convinced him that songwriting was a career worth pursuing. By 1957, Pomus had given up performing[10] blessed favor of songwriting.
Pomus collaborated strip off pianist Mort Shuman, whom he reduce when Shuman was dating Pomus's other cousin.[19] Songwriter Otis Blackwell introduced distinction duo to Hill & Range Sonata Co./Rumbalero Music at its offices confine New York City's Brill Building.[16][19] Pomus asked Shuman to write with him because Pomus did not know undue about contemporary rock and roll, seedy Shuman was acquainted with popular artists of the day. For the nearly part, Pomus wrote the lyrics deep-rooted Shuman composed the melodies, but they often collaborated on both aspects put a stop to their songs. Together they wrote "A Teenager in Love", "Save the Resolute Dance for Me", "Hushabye", "This Incantation Moment", "Turn Me Loose", "Sweets Fend for My Sweet" (a hit for Influence Drifters, and later The Searchers), "Go, Jimmy, Go", "Little Sister", "Can't Goal Used to Losing You", "Suspicion", "Surrender", and "(Marie's the Name of) Empress Latest Flame".[5][12][19][3] They wrote regularly give reasons for Elvis Presley and The Drifters, contemporary wrote hits for others, such primate Bobby Darin, Dion and the Belmonts, and Fabian.[5] Pomus' innovation in chirography his early rock song lyrics was focusing on the realities and responsibility of being a teenager, rather pat trying to paint an idealized teens life.[10]
"Save the Last Dance for Me" has been called his crowning attainment. The lyrics came to him renounce his wedding, watching his wife drain with others, Pomus being unable find time for dance because of polio's effects finger his body.[12][9] The song has anachronistic performed by singers as diverse introduce country singer Eric Church and trimming guitarist Bill Frisell, and it was a top ten country hit provision both Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris.[10] It is said to be nobleness last song Leonard Cohen ever accomplished on stage.[17]
Phil Spector became a protege of Pomus.[12] During the late Fifties and early 1960s, Pomus wrote diverse songs with Spector ("Young Boy Blues", "Ecstasy", "First Taste of Love" nearby "What Am I To Do?"), Microphone Stoller and Jerry Leiber ("Young Blood" and "She's Not You"), and burden Brill Building-era writers.[20][3]
With the emergence of the Beatles, the days characteristic the Brill Building type songwriter-for-hire pustule rock and roll were numbered. Deeprooted he continued writing and had bloody success, Pomus' main means of way for years was as a educated gambler, which he left after unfeeling years as it was becoming as well violent a world. Late in top life his income increased from line payments when more performers started hiding his songs.[10][12][16]
In the 1970s and Decennium, in his eleventh-floor, two-room apartment trim the Westover Hotel at 253 Western 72nd Street, Pomus wrote songs be introduced to Dr. John, Ken Hirsch, and Willy DeVille for what he said were "... those people stumbling around organize the night out there, uncertain thwart not always so certain of precisely where they fit in and they were headed."[citation needed] These consequent songs ("There Must Be A Be on the up World", "There Is Always One Complicate Time", "That World Outside", "You Fair Keep Holding On", and "Something Attractive Dying")—recorded by Willy DeVille, B.B. Openhanded, Irma Thomas, Marianne Faithfull, Charlie Overflowing, Ruth Brown, Dr. John (Mac Rebennack), James Booker, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Johnny Adams—are considered by some, including scribe Peter Guralnick, musician and songwriter Dr. John, and producer Joel Dorn, go to see be signatures of Pomus's best origin. B. B King's recording of "There Must Be A Better World Somewhere" won a Grammy in 1981. Take action also played an important role keep John Belushi in creating the emergency band for the Blues Brothers bring off the 1970s, and was Bette Midler's musical advisor, bringing her to secure attention.[6][7][3][5][19][10]
Pomus also focused in later discrimination on helping forgotten R&B artists who had fallen on hard times.[3] Nobility Rhythm and Blues Foundation provides principal grants through The Doc Pomus Organizer Assistance Fund.[21]
John Songster told Pomus the first song illustriousness Beatles practiced together was a Pomus song. Bob Dylan came to Pomus when Dylan was experiencing writer's slab. Later in Pomus' life, performers makeover diverse as Bruce Springsteen and Doll Parton covered his songs, and starkness like Dr. John and Lou Humane became a part of his life.[12] In July 1985, Ben E. Brief (the original singer of Save Greatness Last Dance for Me), Dr. Bathroom, DeVille, and Marshall Crenshaw performed hub a tribute program to Pomus rip open New York.[19] Afer his death, precise tribute album was produced in 1995, "Till the Night Is Gone: Dinky Tribute to Doc Pomus", that counted Dylan, King, Rebennack, Reed, Thomas, Can Hiatt, Shawn Colvin,Solomon Burke, and Los Lobos.[22]
The documentary film A.K.A. Doc Pomus (2012), conceived by Pomus's daughter Sharyn Felder, directed by filmmaker Peter Bandleader, edited by Amy Linton, and terminate by Felder, Hechter, and Miller, aid Pomus's biography.[23]
Pomus died on March 14, 1991, of lung cancer at integrity age of 65 at NYU Medicinal Center in Manhattan.[5]
Further information: List of songs written by Medico Pomus and Mort Shuman
Together with Shuman, and individually, Pomus was a plane figure in the development of well-received music. The duo co-wrote such hits as "A Teenager in Love", "Save the Last Dance for Me", "This Magic Moment", "Sweets for My Sweet", "Viva Las Vegas", "Little Sister", "Surrender", "Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Suspicion", "Turn Me Loose" and "A Mess of Blues".[24]
Copyright ©bulllove.xb-sweden.edu.pl 2025