Major Chemistry

Mention the name Goffin and King to any music fan over a respectable age and you'll get immediate recognition, but have you ever stopped to think anything more about them? Lyricist Gerry Goffin was born in Brooklyn, New York on 11 February 1939, Carole three years later on 9 February 1942. They met at Queens College where Goffin was chemistry major and Carole was studying education. They married in 1959 and he took a job as a chemist while Carole worked as a secretary while continuing to write music together. They were signed by Don Kirschner and Al Nevins to Aldon Music in 1960 and began working in the legendary Brill Building.

Their big break came in late 1960 when The Shirelles recorded Will You Love Me Tomorrow? It entered the US charts in November of the same year when Carol was just 18 and got to No.1 on 30 January 1961, the week before her 19th birthday. Before the year was out they had another American No.1 with Take Good Care of My Baby by Bobby Vee (it was the era of the Bobbies) and the following year Little Eva’s Locomotion topped the US charts. They went on to write over one hundred chart hits together….most of them before Carole was thirty! On Gerry’s 24th birthday the Beatles were in Abbey Road recording the Cookie’s Top.20 hit, 'Chains' that he and Carole had written.