Ellie Greenwich
| Ellie Greenwich | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Eleanor Louise Greenwich |
| Born |
October 23, 1940 Brooklyn, New York |
| Died | August 26, 2009 (aged 68) New York City, New York |
| Genres | Rock and roll |
| Occupation(s) | Songwriter, background singer, record producer |
| Years active | 1958 - 2009 |
| Associated acts | The Ronettes, The Crystals, Neil Diamond, Manfred Mann, The Shangri-Las, The Raindrops, Tommy James & the Shondells, Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, Lesley Gore |
| Website | elliegreenwich |
Eleanor Louise "Ellie" Greenwich (October 23, 1940 – August 26, 2009) was an American pop music singer, songwriter, and record producer. She wrote or co-wrote "Be My Baby", "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)", "Da Doo Ron Ron", "Leader of the Pack", "Do Wah Diddy Diddy", and "River Deep – Mountain High", among others.
Greenwich was born Eleanor Louise Greenwich in Brooklyn, New York to electrical engineer and former painter William (of Russian heritage) and Russian Jewish department store manager Rose (née Baron), She was reportedly named for Eleanor Roosevelt. Her musical interest was sparked as a child when her parents played music in their home and she listened to artists including Teresa Brewer, The Four Lads and Johnnie Ray, and she learned how to play the accordion at a young age. At age ten, she moved with her parents and younger sister, Laura, to the suburb of Levittown, New York.
By her teens, Greenwich was composing songs and said in a 1973 article, "When I was 14, I met Archie Bleyer who liked my songs but told me continue my education before trying to invade the songwriting jungle"; eventually she taught herself to compose on the piano rather than the accordion. In high school, Greenwich and two friends formed a singing group, The Jivettes, which took on more members and performed at local functions. While attending high school, she started using the accordion to write love songs about her school crush. After graduating high school, Greenwich enrolled at the Manhattan School of Music but was rejected because the school did not accept accordion players, and she subsequently enrolled at Queens College.
...
Wikipedia