Doc Pomus

Jerome Solon Felder (June 27, 1925 – March 14, 1991), known professionally as Doc Pomus, was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the co-writer of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a non-performer in 1992, the Songwriters Hall of Fame,

Early life Jerome Solon Felder was born on June 27, 1925, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of British born Jewish immigrants. Having contracted polio as a boy, he was in an iron lung for a year, and walked with the aid of crutches. Later, due to post-polio syndrome exacerbated by an accident, Felder relied on a wheelchair.

Career Performing career Using the stage name Doc Pomus, the teenage Felder began performing as a blues singer. His stage name was not inspired by anyone in particular; he just thought it sounded better for a blues singer than Jerry Felder, although it included a "nod" to blues singer Doctor Clayton. Clubs would invite him to perform, and on one occasion the great saxophonist Lester Young sat in with him. Baker, and Curtis. Pomus is reported to have recorded more than fifty record sides of music

In 1957, he married an aspiring Broadway actress from Westville, Illinois, named Willi Burke. (She later performed in the Broadway play Fiorello.

Influence on other performers John Lennon told Pomus the first song the Beatles practiced together was a Pomus song. Bob Dylan came to Pomus when Dylan was experiencing writer's block. Later in Pomus's life, performers as diverse as Bruce Springsteen and Dolly Parton covered his songs, and others like Dr. John and Lou Reed became a part of his life.

The documentary film A.K.A. Doc Pomus (2012), conceived by Pomus's daughter Sharyn Felder, directed by filmmaker Peter Miller, edited by Amy Linton, and produced by Felder, Hechter, and Miller, presents Pomus's biography.

Death Pomus died on March 14, 1991, of lung cancer at age 65 at NYU Medical Center in Manhattan. Their songs have been recorded by hundreds of artists. Pomus was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1991, he was the first non-African American recipient of the Rhythm and Blues Foundation Pioneer Award. Ray Charles presented the award via a pre-recorded message. The funk band Cameo was heavily influenced by Pomus's song-writing style and frequently acknowledges his impact before performing their hit song "Word Up". Longtime friend, jazz singer Jimmy Scott, performed at Pomus's funeral, a performance that resurrected his career. Other attendees included Seymour Stein, who subsequently signed Scott to Sire Records, and Lou Reed, who thereafter would regularly work with Scott until his death. Pomus had been imploring his friends to hear Scott sing for many years. The song "Doc's Blues" was written as a tribute to Pomus by his close friend Andrew Vachss. The lyrics originally appeared in Vachss's 1990 novel Blossom. "Doc's Blues" was recorded by bluesman Son Seals on Seals's last album Lettin' Go. Responsible for Lou Reed's introduction to the music industry in the early 1960s, Pomus was one of two friends Reed memorialized on his 1992 album Magic and Loss. In 1995, Rhino Records released a tribute album to Pomus titled Till the Night Is Gone. Pomus's songs are performed by Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, Dion, Dr. John, Irma Thomas, Solomon Burke, John Hiatt, Shawn Colvin, Aaron Neville, Lou Reed, the Band, B.B. King, Los Lobos, and Rosanne Cash. In 2010, Ben Folds and Nick Hornby named their collaborative album on which the song "Doc Pomus" appeared Lonely Avenue. The lyrics referenced an excerpt from Pomus's unfinished memoir, February 21, 1984: "I was never one of those happy cripples who stumbled around smiling and shiny-eyed, trying to get the world to cluck its tongue and shake its head sadly in my direction. They'd never look at me and say, 'What a wonderful, courageous fellow. The album features lyrics by British author Hornby set to music by American performer Folds. It was released on September 28, 2010. John Goodman's character in the Coen brothers' 2013 dramedy Inside Llewyn Davis is loosely inspired by Pomus. Bob Dylan's 2022 book The Philosophy of Modern Song is dedicated to Doc Pomus.