Gerry Goffin was born on this day in 1939 and he co-wrote some of the most enduring hits of the sixties with Carole King, who also celebrates her birthday this week. The pair married each other in 1960 and it lasted for eight years, a period that was a couple of years shorter than their professional partnership. Their first hit was the classic Will You Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles, which was the first of four US number ones for the songwriters in the early sixties. The other three were Take Good Care of My Baby by Bobby Vee, the Loco-Motion by Little Eva and (one I’ve never heard of) Go Away Little Girl by Steve Lawrence. In addition, the Everly Brothers had a top ten hit with Crying in the Rain, as did The Chiffons with One Fine Day and the Drifters with Up on the Roof. The pair wrote dozens of more songs that made the charts throughout the sixties and King herself had a minor hit in 1962 with It Might as Well Rain Until September. She went solo at the end of the decade and had massive success in 1971 with her debut album Tapestry
