'Natural Woman' Songwriter Gerry Goffin Dies

The man who put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) and penned dozens of other '60s hits, mainly in partnership with then-wife Carole King, has died at the age of 75. The duo, who married in 1959, scored their first hit with "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," and the many that followed included "The Loco-Motion," "(You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman," and "I'm Into Something Good," reports the BBC. After splitting up with King in 1968, he continued to write hits, including "Saving All My Love for You" for Whitney Houston.

Goffin—a Brooklyn native who worked as a chemist before meeting King—was heavily inspired by pre-rock songwriters like the early Broadway greats, USA Today notes. In a statement, King said Goffin was "my first love. He had a profound impact on my life and the rest of the world. Gerry was a good man and a dynamic force, whose words and creative influence will resonate for generations to come." His lyrics "expressed what so many people were feeling but didn't know how to say," she said. "If you want to join his loved ones in honoring him, look at the names of the songwriters under the titles of songs. Among the titles associated with me, you'll often find Gerry's name next to mine." (More obituary stories.)