New Musicians and Artists in Rock & Roll Heaven, Part Seven

Inside The Rock Era is saluting people who brought you a lot of great music in their careers before passing away in 2015:

Michael Masser, one of the great songwriters of the Rock Era, died July 9, 2015 at age 74 in Rancho Mirage, California, three years after suffering a stroke.

Here is a short list of songs Masser has written:  "Touch Me In The Morning", "Last Time I Saw Him", "Theme From 'Mahogany'" and "It's My Turn" by Diana Ross, "Greatest Love Of All" (originally for George Benson and later made famous by Houston), "Didn't We Almost Have It All", "Saving All My Love For You" 'Hold Me" and "All At Once" for Houston, "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love" for Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson, "If Ever You're In My Arms Again" by Bryson, "Miss You Like Crazy" by Natalie Cole and "Nothing's Gonna' Change My Love For You" for  Benson and later Glenn Medeiros. 

Masser helped catapult Whitney Houston to fame. 

Rose Marie McCoy, singer and songwriter whose songs have been recorded by Elvis Presley ("I Beg Of You"), the Eagles, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Nat King Cole, the Platters, Faith Hill, Little Willie John, Ike & Tina Turner, Patti Page, Del Shannon, Eddy Arnold and Lenny Welch, among others, died January, 2015 in Urbana, Illinois at age 92.  McCoy wrote over 850 songs over seven decades.  

Danny McCulloch, bassist for the second incarnation of the Animals (from 1966-69), died of heart failure January 29, 2015 at age 69.

Superb poet and songwriter Rod McKuen died January 29 in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 81 of respiratory arrest following pneumonia.

McKuen wrote over 1,500 songs for Madonna, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Petula Clark, Dusty Springfield, Perry Como, Andy Williams, Johnny Mathis and Percy Faith, among others.  Of those, "Seasons In The Sun" by Terry Jacks and "Jean" for Oliver became his biggest.   

 

 McKuen's songs have helped sell over 100 million albums worldwide, and 60 million books of his poetry have sold as well.