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Don Kirshner, Songwriter, Promoter, Publisher, Producer, Manager, Rock Impresario
| by Michael Macomber |
Don Kirshner
Born Apr 17, 1934
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A lot of folks who grew up in the 1970s know Don Kirshner as the perennially unhip, monotone-voiced host of the weekly live music showcase, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. In truth, Kirshner was anything but unhip. Rather, he was a savvy kid from the Bronx who exercised a major influence over the early development of rock n' roll.
Kirshner started out in the music business as a songwriter and performer, penning tunes with his friend and Bronx High School classmate, Bobby Darin, and sometimes backing up the young Mr. Darin on guitar. The two wrote pop, rock n' roll, and commercial jingles. |
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One of their 1956 compositions, "My First Real Love," caught the ear of George Scheck, who was managing Connie Francis at the time. This led to Francis recording it as a single, and to Scheck helping Darin secure a recording contract with the Decca label.
A couple of years later, in 1958, Kirshner made his first foray into music publishing, forming Aldon Music with the much older Al Nevins, a music industry veteran with money, experience, and connections. Aldon's roster of talent included many soon-to-be-famous writers, such as Neil Sedaka, Neil Diamond, Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil, and Barry Mann. Aldon Music was in fact instrumental in establishing what came to be known as the Brill Building Sound, a reference to the 1619 Broadway address where many of the greatest hits of all time were written.
In the '60s, Kirshner was asked to serve as music supervisor for The Monkees tv series, and he called on his stable of Brill Building writers to provide songs for the show. Thus, Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer," Carole King and Gerry Goffin's "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart's "Steppin' Stone" were all major hits for the manufactured pop group.
Come the 1970s, Kirshner's reputation as a hitmaker was solid, and in 1973 he founded Don Kirshner Productions, and embarked on a 9-year run as the executive producer and host of the highly successful program, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert.
Kirshner was honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 7th, 2007, with the Abe Olman Publisher Award For Lifetime Achievement In The Music Industry. |
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Don Kirshner songs on Darin LPs:
Bobby Darin (Atco 33-102, September 1958)—Pretty Betty (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner); Talk to Me Something (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner); Wear My Ring (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner); So Mean (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner); Don't Call My Name (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner)
Things and Other Things (Atco 33-146, July 1962)—Lost Love (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner) |
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Don Kirshner songs on other LPs (Selected Discography):
LaVern Baker: Love Me Right (Bobby Darin/Don Kirshner)—from the LP Blues Ballads (Atlantic 8030, 1959)
Kansas: Carry on Wayward Son (Don Kirshner/Kerry Livgren)—from the LP Leftoverture (Kirshner PZ 34224, 1976) |
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