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Mike Stoller
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Mike Stoller is an American composer and producer. He was born in 1933 in Queens, New York, and with the lyricist Jerry Leiber formed one of the most important songwriting duos in the history of popular music. Stoller wrote the music, Leiber the words. They met in 1950 in Los Angeles, where Stoller played piano after school and Leiber worked in a record shop. They shared a love of blues and rhythm and blues.
Music and breakthrough
In 1952 they wrote Hound Dog for the blues singer Big Mama Thornton, who had a hit with it a year later. Elvis Presley's version from 1956 became much bigger still. Stoller only heard the news when he had been rescued in New York from a sunken ship, and asked in astonishment: Elvis who? They went on to write for Presley, among others, Jailhouse Rock, Loving You and King Creole. At Atlantic Records they were also allowed to work for other labels, which in effect made them the first independent producers. For The Coasters they made funny, theatrical songs about teenage life, such as Searchin', Yakety Yak and Charlie Brown. For The Drifters they produced songs such as On Broadway, and with Ben E. King they wrote Stand By Me.
Influence
In the 1960s they founded Red Bird Records, where girl groups such as the Shangri-Las and the Dixie Cups scored hits. A young Phil Spector learned the trade in their studio. Leiber and Stoller wrote or co-wrote more than seventy hits. In 1987 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 1995Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller (soundtrack)
- 2011The People in the Picture (soundtrack)
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Mixtape 10: Women in Pop MusicNL Reader
- Mixtape 12: The Hit FactoryNL Reader
- Magazine: Stuck in the Middle with YouNL Magazine