Jack Keller (songwriter)

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Jack Keller
Keller in the early 1960s
Keller in the early 1960s
Background information
Birth nameJack Walter Keller
Born(1936-11-11)November 11, 1936
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedApril 1, 2005(2005-04-01) (aged 68)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation(s)Songwriter, record producer
Websitewww.jackkellersongwriter.com
Barry Mann, Jack Keller, Al Nevins, Don Kirshner and Howard Greenfield at the 1962 BMI Awards

Jack Walter Keller (born James Walter Keller[

Nashville
.

Biography

Keller was born in

The Kalin Twins.[2][4]

In 1959, he was one of the first songwriters to sign an exclusive contract with

music publishing company established by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins. Keller began working with and developing a young writing staff that included Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Sedaka, and Howard Greenfield
. Between 1960 and 1963, Aldon Music had 54 top ten songs.

After Sedaka began a performing career, Keller worked with Greenfield, and the pair jointly co-wrote two number-one hits for

McGuire Sisters' hit "Just For Old Time's Sake" and Sedaka's "One Way Ticket," later a hit for Eruption.[4][5]

When Aldon was sold to

Los Angeles, California in 1966. As well as continuing to write theme songs for TV, his compositions were recorded by such musicians as Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles and Louis Armstrong.[5]

When Don Kirshner and Screen Gems launched The Monkees in 1966, Keller co-produced their first album, and co-wrote several of their songs including "Your Auntie Grizelda" and "Early Morning Blues and Greens", both written with Diane Hildebrand. Keller and Hildebrand also wrote Bobby Sherman's 1970 hit, "Easy Come, Easy Go".[4][5] He later worked for United Artists Music in Hollywood.[6]

In 1984 he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he wrote songs recorded by leading country stars including Ernest Tubb, Crystal Gayle, Eddy Arnold, Loretta Lynn and Reba McEntire.[5][6] On November 11, 2013, one of Keller's arrangements, Stephen Foster's Beautiful Dreamer, appeared on the Beatles' album On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 – recorded live on January 22, 1963 – showing that Keller and his fellow 'Brill Building' songwriters were influential on the Beatles in their formative years. (Keller had written additional lyrics to Foster's song.)

He died of leukemia at the age of 68.[5] Jack Keller was survived by his wife, Robi Keller and children Mike Keller, Russ Keller, Pari Keller and entertainment attorney, Jordan Keller.

Compositions

Further information: List of songs written by Jack Keller

References

  1. OCLC 723489684
    (Search only via HathiTrust
    )
  2. ^ a b Stuart Colman, Jack Keller obituary, Now Dig This 267, June 2005, reprinted at BlackCatRockabilly. Retrieved 24 June 2014
  3. ^ "The Chordettes - Just Between You and Me".
  4. ^ a b c Jack Keller Songwriter Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 June 2014
  5. ^ a b c d e Biography by Jason Ankeny.Allmusic.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014
  6. ^ a b Jack Keller (1936–2005), Spectropop.com. Retrieved 24 June 2014

External links

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