Jack Keller

Jack Walter Keller (born James Walter Keller; 11 November 1936 – 1 April 2005) was an American composer, songwriter and record producer. He co-wrote, with Howard Greenfield and others, several pop hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including "Just Between You and Me", "Everybody's Somebody's Fool", "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own", "Venus in Blue Jeans" and "Run to Him". He also wrote the theme songs for TV series including Bewitched and Gidget, and later worked in Los Angeles – where he wrote for, and produced, The Monkees – and in Nashville. Biography Keller was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of dance band musician Mal Keller and his wife Reva. He learned the accordion and piano, and worked in a camera repair store at the age of 15 following his father's death. He also began playing in dance bands, and started writing songs with his friend Paul Kaufman. In the mid 1950s, he started hanging around the Brill Building, the heart of "Tin Pan Alley" in New York City, and was introduced to lyricist Lee Cathy. Their first collaboration, "Just Between You and Me", was recorded by The Chordettes and became a top ten hit in 1957. He also collaborated with Noel Sherman, and their songs were recorded by Perry Como and The Kalin Twins. In 1959, he was one of the first songwriters to sign an exclusive contract with Aldon Music, the music publishing company established by Don Kirshner and Al Nevins. Keller began working with and developing a young writing staff that included Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Sedaka, and Howard Greenfield. Between 1960 and 1963, Aldon Music had 54 top ten songs. After Sedaka began a performing career, Keller worked with Greenfield, and the pair jointly co-wrote two number-one hits for Connie Francis in 1960, "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" and "My Heart Has a Mind of Its Own", as well as the follow-up "Breakin' In A Brand New Broken Heart".