Legendary songwriter Jerry Leiber dies of heart failure at age 78. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES. REUTERS - Jerry Leiber, who partnered with Mike Stoller to write such iconic rock hits as Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock," died on Monday (August 23) at age 78. He died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of cardiopulmonary failure. Family members of the legendary songwriter were with him at the time. Leiber and Stoller, who met when they were 17, wrote such tunes as "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Stand By Me" and "Poison Ivy." In addition to Presley, the Drifters, Ben E. King and Peggy Lee were among the many singers who recorded songs from the duo. They also helped ignite the career of the Coasters by writing and producing the doo-wop act's hits including "Yakety Yak," "Charlie Brown" and "Along Came Jones." |
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