Howard Greenfield

Howard Greenfield ( born March 15, 1936 in Brooklyn, New York, † March 4, 1986 in Los Angeles ) was an American lyricist and songwriter. Many of his famous hit he co-wrote with his childhood friend Neil Sedaka, including its number - one hits Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, and Oh! Carol and Tony Christie's number -one hit Is This the Way to Amarillo? Also from the spring Greenfields and Sedakas came the song Love Will Keep Us Together, in 1976 won the Grammy for the single of the year in the recording of The Captain & Tennille. Together with Jack Keller wrote Greenfield Connie Francis for the number - one hits Everybody's Somebody's Fool and My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own.

Career

Most of his lyrics were set to music with compositions of his childhood friend Neil Sedaka in Aldon Music Publishing, which was located one block from the famous Brill Building located in 1650 Broadway. The vast majority of the songs dealt with teenage problems, which belonged to the core business of their employer. Both started in July 1958 as a composer with Stupid Cupid for the not yet established Connie Francis and were therefore one in the British charts their first number -one hit. The next composition The Diary Sedaka sang in December 1958 itself and was able to advance with this single to number 14 on the U.S. charts. In October 1959 Sedaka brought the tribute to his childhood sweetheart, Carole King Oh! Carol reached out, the number nine on the U.S. charts, number three in the UK and number one in Italy. Stairway to Heaven rose in March 1960 also at number nine in the U.S. and at number eight in the UK. Sedaka interpreted in this way, four written by the team Greenfield / Sedaka bigger hits, including Calender Girl with a serial connection of the month ( December 1960, # 4/USA, # 8/UK ) Little Devil ( May 1961, # 11/USA, # 9/UK ), Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen ( November 1961, # 6/USA, # 3/UK ) and the biggest success of Breaking Up Is Hard to Do ( June 1962, # 1/USA ). The latter is also a German version of the farewell hurts so much with Carmela Corren published ( January 1965 ). Alone sung by the Sedaka song 25 million times sold.

In the meantime, the team Greenfield / Sedaka had also written songs for other artists. In April 1960, took the teen idol Jimmy Clanton Another Sleepless Night, followed in September 1960 Passing Time for the girl trio The cookies and Rumors of Johnny Crawford in November 1962. In March 1963, two compositions were produced, namely Charms for Bobby Vee and Foolish Little Girl by the Shirelles (# 4/USA ). In this last Top Ten hit the Shirelles Greenfield, however, did not cooperate with Sedaka, but with Helen Miller. Changing authors Partnerships were also included with Carole King ( Crying in the Rain for the Everly Brothers, January 1962 ) or with Jack Keller, with whom he wrote two number - one hits for Connie Francis, namely Everybody's Somebody's Fool (May 1960, which was as Love is a strange game and their first number one in Germany ) and My Heart has a Mind of its Own ( August 1960 ). Another top hit was Francis ' Breakin' In a Brand New Broken Heart ( April 1961 # 7/USA ). Frank Sinatra took over When Somebody Loves You in July 1965.

Beyond these teen - pop products they wrote in July 1969 for the 5th Dimension Workin 'on a Groovy Thing, and in April 1970 the original Puppet Man, that was brought out in a cover version of Tom Jones in June 1971. The partnership Greenfield - Sedaka was revived many years later, when the British pop tenor with Tony Christie Is This the Way to Amarillo? climbed to number one on the German charts in November 1971, a remake of the song by Christie with the comedian Peter Kay was a number-one hit in the UK in 2005. The duo Captain & Tennille ended in April 1975 with Love Will Keep Us Together a million seller ( US-1 ) and a placement at the Grammy Awards.

Greenfield died in 1986 shortly before his 50th birthday at an AIDS caused by heart failure. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1991 posthumously.

Broadcast Music Incorporated According to Greenfield exactly 500 compositions are registered, for which he won a total of 20 BMI Awards Winning Song.

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