Gerry Goffin, Songwriting Partner and Ex-Husband of Carole King, Dead at 75

Famed lyricist worked on such hits as "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow"

By Natalie Finn Jun 19, 2014 10:57 PMTags
Carole King, Gerry GoffinDonna Santisi/Redferns

One half of a Beautiful team is no more.

Gerry Goffin, who cowrote some of the 1960s' most memorable hits with then-wife Carole King, died Thursday at his home in Los Angeles, according to the New York Times. He was 75.

"Gerry Goffin was my first love," King, whose professional and romantic relationship with the famed lyricist is the subject of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Beautiful, said in a statement posted on her Facebook page.

"He had a profound impact on my life and the rest of the world. Gerry was a good man and a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come. His legacy to me is our two daughters, four grandchildren, and our songs that have touched millions and millions of people, as well as a lifelong friendship. He will be missed by his wonderful wife Michele, his devoted manager, Christine Russell, his five children, and six grandchildren."

"His words expressed what so many people were feeling but didn't know how to say," King, who married Goffin in 1959 when she was 17, also stated today. "If you want to join his loved ones in honoring him, look at the names of the songwriters under the titles of songs. Among the titles associated with me, you'll often find Gerry's name next to mine."

After ending his Brill Building (and personal) partnership with King, the Brooklyn-born artist continued to pen lyrics in the ensuing decades, earning an Oscar nomination with cowriter Michael Masser for the theme from 1975's Mahogany with Diana Ross, and a Golden Globe nomination for "So Sad the Song" from 1977's Pipe Dreams.

With Masser, Goffin also penned "Saving All My Love for You," for which Whitney Houston won Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1986, and "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love for You," the romantic duet crooned by Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack.

As King noted, Goffin is survived by wife Michelle, five children and six grandchildren.