Goffin married Carole King in 1959, when he was 20 and she was 17.
Together they wrote songs including James Taylor’s You’ve Got a Friend, The Everly Brothers’ Crying in the Rain and Pleasant Valley Sunday for The Monkees.
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow", sung by the Shirlles in 1961:
Tonight you're mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow
Is this a lasting treasure
Or just a moment's pleasure
Can I believe the magic of your sighs
Will you still love me tomorrow
Tonight with words unspoken
You say that I'm the only one
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning sun
I'd like to know that your love
Is love I can be sure of
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow … X 4.
Some of his songs I remember are The Drifters - Up on the Roof (1962) & Aretha Franklin - (You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman (1967). To hear 6 of his best songs click here.
Their marriage reminds me of my own a few years later. They married so young and so did I. My first vow bound me for 27 years. At that age, a person hasn't fully developed and they haven't discovered the person they were meant to be. And yet their union produced wonderful songs along with their human progeny.
Maybe for some people an early marriage is one way to learn about life and the way they fit into the grand scheme of things. Parental intervention does no good at that age.
Now, my union with my present husband has lasted 25 years. He's the same age as Gerry Goffin. I've vowed to support him for the rest of our lives together. I'll still love him tomorrow.
What do you think about early marriage?