US hit songwriter Gerry Goffin dies

One of the great American songwriters has died. Gerard "Gerry" Goffin, immortalized on countless records and CDs as half of the duo Goffin/King, died at 75 in his home in Los Angeles. His ex-wife Carole King, with whom he wrote many of his hits, reported his death on Twitter.

Goffin, who was born in New York in 1939, was married to Carole King for 10 years beginning in 1959. The hits they penned together include "Up on the Roof" (The Drifters), "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" (Aretha Franklin), "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (The Shirelles), "Take Good Care of My Baby" (Bobby Vee) and "The Loco-Motion" (Little Eve). Goffin was also behind Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love for You."

His songs were regularly at the top of the charts. Many pop and rock legends played his music, such as The Beatles ("Chains"), Dusty Springfield, the Monkees and even Kylie Minogue, who brought "The Logo-Motion" back to the radio at the end of the 80s. In 1987, Goffin was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, followed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

Carole King said in a statement that Goffin was her "first love," adding that, "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."

det/gsw (afp, dpa)