Sharon Sheeley | |
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 Sheeley in 1961 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sharon Kathleen Sheeley |
| Born | (1940-04-04)April 4, 1940 Newport Beach, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 2002(2002-05-17) (aged 62) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop music |
| Occupations |
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Sharon Kathleen Sheeley (April 4, 1940 – May 17, 2002) was an American songwriter who wrote songs forGlen Campbell,Ricky Nelson,Brenda Lee, andEddie Cochran.
Sheeley attendedNewport Harbor High School[citation needed] inNewport Beach, and briefly worked as a teen model. She went toHollywood to meet the stars and write songs. Her first song, "Poor Little Fool", was recorded byRicky Nelson in 1958, and became Nelson's first US No. 1 and theBillboard Hot 100's first No. 1. At age 18, Sheeley was the youngest woman to write an American number-one hit.[1]
Jerry Capehart, the manager and songwriting partner ofEddie Cochran, then agreed to look after Sheeley's interests, and she and Cochran began a relationship. She wrote "Love Again" and "Cherished Memories" for Cochran and the 1959 hit "Somethin' Else" with Eddie's brother Bill Cochran. Her other songwriting credits included "Hurry Up", recorded byRitchie Valens.[1]
In April 1960, she traveled to United Kingdom to join Cochran andGene Vincent, who were touring there. She and Cochran were reported as being "unofficially engaged".[2] She recorded a song, "Homework", with producerJack Good.[1] On the night of April 16, 1960, Sheeley, Vincent and Cochran were traveling in a private hire taxi from a concert inBristol toLondon Heathrow Airport when it slammed into a lamp post nearChippenham. All three were rushed to a hospital. Cochran, who had been thrown from the vehicle, suffered fatal brain injuries and died the next day, at the age of 21. Sheeley suffered a broken pelvis, and Vincent broke his ribs and collarbone and added further damage to his already weak leg.[1]
Following the accident she returned to the US, where she collaborated with musician-songwriterJackie DeShannon on a string of hits, includingBrenda Lee's "Dum Dum" and "Heart in Hand",The Fleetwoods' "(He's) The Great Imposter" andIrma Thomas's "Breakaway". She also co-wrote songs withChris Curtis ofThe Searchers, including "Night Time" recorded byPaul andBarry Ryan.[1]
In 1961, Sheeley married Los Angeles radio personalityJimmy O'Neill. The two created theABC TV seriesShindig! (1964–1966). They divorced five years after marrying, but remained friends. After her divorce, Sheeley moved away from the music scene, apart from some public appearances at Eddie Cochran conventions in the 1990s. In August 2000,RPM Records released a collection of her songs that were recorded in the early 1960s bysession musicians, includingGlen Campbell,Delaney Bramlett,Leon Russell,David Gates,Hal Blaine andHerb Alpert.[3]
Five days after suffering acerebral hemorrhage, Sheeley died on May 17, 2002, atSherman Oaks Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles at the age of 62.[4]She has acenotaph marker next to Eddie Cochran at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cypress, in Orange County, California.
In 1988,Levi Strauss & Co. promoted their Levi's 501 range with a television commercial called "Eddie Cochran", directed by Syd Macartney.[1] It told the story of how Sheeley (played by actress Sharon Devlin) attracted Cochran at a party by wearing said product. It was seemingly narrated by Sheeley and the background song, "C'mon Everybody", was released as a promotional single, followed by a compilation album of Cochran's hits.
Sheeley was depicted by Rosanna Locke in the 1987 filmLa Bamba.[5]
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