Don Kirshner of "Rock Concert" fame Dead @ 76

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118030420

Don Kirshner, songwriter and producer, dies
'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling,' 'I'm a Believer' among writer's works

By Sam Thielman

Songwriter and rock producer Don Kirshner died of heart failure on Monday at the age of 77 in Boca Raton, Fla. Kirshner wrote "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and managed songwriting talent including Neil Sedaka, Carole King, Howard Greenfield and many others, providing songs for The Monkees' TV program in the 1960's, including "I'm a Believer."
Kirshner's first major success story was the career of fellow Bronx High School of Science alumni Bobby Darin, which Kirshner helped to launch in the 1950's.

Along with partner Al Nevins, Kirshner founded Aldon music and helped to shape the role of the Brill Building - an office building just north of Times Square where some of the biggest hits of the 50's and 60's were written. Aldon was instrumental in the early careers of Sedaka, King, and the Righteous Brothers. By 1962, Aldon had hundreds of hits on the radio penned by a team of 18 writers, the oldest of whom was 26.

Kirshner founded Chairman Records, Calendar/Kirshner Recordings, and Dimension Records, notable for its release of "The Locomotion."

Over the course of his career, Kirshner became known as "The Man With the Golden Ear" for his ability to spot a hit; sales of Monkees records dropped sharply after the band parted ways with Kirshner.

Post-Monkees, Kirshner developed "The Archies," an animated series based on the cartoon characters, whose musical talents were provided by studio musicians assembled by Kirshner to perform hits he selected, including "Sugar, Sugar" and "Bang-Shang-A-Lang." He also served as exec producer on ABC's "In Concert" and later created his own syndie show, "Rock Concert" - notable for its all-live-performances lineup after a period of similar shows featuring lipsynched perfs.
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