Listeners of the popular song, “Chapel of Love,”by Dixie Cups may be a feel more down when they hear this now. Influential songwriter, Ellie Greenwich, passed away last night after she was admitted into a hospital for pneumonia a few days before.
Greenwich died from a heart attack at St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital in New York.
Besides “Chapel of Love,” her songwriting skills on the Crystal’s “Da Doo Ron Ron,” Ike and Tina Turner’s “River High, Mountain Deep,” and The Ronettes’ “Be My Baby” made her a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The first two songs were part of her writing repertoire with producer, Phil Spector.
She also wrote many songs such as “Leader of the Pack” with her ex-husband, Jeff Barry. The two also graced the stage as performers in their run as a duo called The Raindrops. The duo’s most notable songs are “What a Guy” and “The Kind of Boy You Can’t Forget.”
Greenwich had a career where she was fortunate enough to work with some of the biggest musicians such as Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. However, she holds the most credit for helping Neil Diamond in the beginning of his career.
According to the Associated Press, Diamond shares that she “was one of the most important people in my career. She discovered me as a down-and-out songwriter and with her then-husband Jeff Barry co-produced all my early hits on Bang records [...] She has remained a great friend and mentor over the years and will be missed greatly.”
Ellie Greenwich was 69 years old. She is survived by a sister, brother-in-law, nephew and her niece.
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