Doc Pomus

Doc Pomus (January 27, 1925 - March 14, 1991) was an American blues singer and songwriter, active throughout the 20th century.

Born Jerome Solon Felder in Brooklyn, New York, he became a fan of the blues after hearing Big Joe Turner on record. He had polio as a boy and got around on crutches. Due to post-polio syndrome, exacerbated by an accident, he eventually used a wheelchair. He died in 1991 from cancer.

Using the stage name "Doc Pomus," he began performing as a teenager, becoming one of the most successful white blues singers of his time. In the 1950s, Pomus started songwriting in order to make enough money to support a wife. By 1957 he had given up performing to devote himself full time to a collaboration with pianist Mort Shuman to write for Hill & Range Music Co./Rumbalero Music at offices in New York City's Brill Building. Their songwriting efforts saw Pomus write the lyrics and Shuman the music although occasionally they worked on both. Their compositions would be major hits ("Teenager in Love"; "Save the Last Dance for Me"; "Hushabye"; "This Magic Moment"; "Turn Me Loose"; "Sweets for My Sweet"; "Can't Get Used to Losing You"; "Little Sister"; "Suspicion"; "Surrender"; "Viva Las Vegas; "(Marie's the name of) His Latest Flame"; and many, many others) for artists such as Dion, Bobby Darin, Fabian, Dusty Springfield, Ray Charles, Manfred Mann, Amen Corner, The Birds, Big Joe Turner, The Beach Boys, The Mystics, Ben E. King, Cissy Houston, The Flamingos, Andy Williams, Ike and Tina Turner, The Coasters, The Drifters and Elvis Presley, among others. In the 1970s and '80s he wrote successfully with Dr. John (a/k/a Mac Rebennak), Kenny Hirsh and Willy DeVille. Those later songs ("There Must Be A Better World" & "There Is Always One More Time" in particular), which were recorded by B.B. King, Irma Thomas, Johnny Adams, are considered by some to be signatures of his best craft.

Together with Shuman and individually, Doc Pomus was a key figure in the development of popular music. He was elected to Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Doc Pomus was one of the two friends whose illness and death inspired Lou Reed to write his 1992 album Magic and Loss (the other person being Rotten Rita).

There is also an very, very good Tribute to Doc Pomus released through the Rhino labe in 1995 titled "Til the Night Is Gone" with performances of Pomus songs by Bob Dylan, Brain Wilson, Dion, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Solomon Burke, John Hiatt, Shaw Colvin, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, The Band, B.B. King, Los Lobos and Rosanne Cash.