Songwriters have always been an odd lot with rewards and recognition given to a few, while many more remain obscure. The music that built the 50's was no different. Very few people know the names or the stories of those that wrote the songs! Here you'll find a handfull of writers who made staggering contributions to our pop music culture
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...click on the picture to learn more about these talented people ...

Otis Blackwell (1931-2002) On Christmas Eve, 1955, everything changed for Otis Blackwell. The 24 year old struggling songwriter sold 6 songs for a total price of $150. One of those 6 demo’s included Otis on piano, singing, and a friend keeping rhythm on a cardboard box. That song soon became the biggest selling record of the 50s era, 11 other top forty hits followed ... click the picture to read the whole story!

Dave Bartholomew The self-proclaimed inventor of the "Big Beat". The contributions he made are Immeasurable although most people will never mutter his name. As talent scout, producer, band leader, trumpet player, and songwriter he was a driving force in the New Orleans music scene. His accomplishments include writing or co-writing credits on 35 pop 40 hits ... click the picture to read the whole story!

John D. Loudermilk He once wrote a poem about a young mans efforts to apologize for his behavior. When he later put music with it, it became "A Rose And A Baby Ruth." Johnny Dee (his performance name) found an opportunity to play and sing it on a local television program. One of those watching that program was a student from a nearby University, George Hamilton IV. Over a twenty year period JDL put 22 songs on the top 40 ... click the picture to read the whole story!

Carole King She became a household word in the 70's but, her contributions began much earlier. Her entrance into the world of pop music in the late 1950's is the stuff that old-time Hollywood films are made of and she is a prime example of how the youth of America impacted popular music at that time. By the end of that era she had placed 11 songs on the top 40 charts ... click the picture to read the whole story!

Felice and Boudleaux Bryant The Bryant's story begins as a remarkable love story. In the spring of 1945, nineteen year old "Felice" Scaduto was an elevator operator at The Schroeder Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She struck up a conversation with a visiting musician from Georgia, Boudleaux Bryant. By 1982 they had scored 15 top 40 hits as well as a string of other classics ... click the picture to read the whole story!

Leiber & Stoller Mike Stoller and Jerry Leiber helped define the music of the 1950’s and were the leading force in the 1960s songwriting mecca, The Brill Building, in NYC. No songwriting team did more to enrich the rock repertoire in the first decade and only a few have matched their total output since. From Hound Dog to Stand By Me, these two are the real deal! ... click the picture to read the whole story!

Johnny and Dorsey Burnette Johnny Burnette and Dorsey Burnette were gifted brothers. Each was a talented songwriter, musician and performer. Long before those talents had shown themselves, each brother had success as a boxer, each winning The Golden Gloves as an amatuer. A few years later they helped define Ricky Nelson as an artist but, they didn't stop there ... click the picture to read the whole story!