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Legendary R&B Songwriting Team Gamble & Huff on the Passing of Jerry Leiber

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Leon Huff played piano on numerous Leiber & Stoller classics

From Leon Huff: “Jerry Lieber was a great inspiration and was vital to the start of my songwriting career. I also had the fortunate opportunity to play piano on many Leiber & Stoller recording sessions as a musician in the early days. When I had dreams of being a producer, I met Leiber & Stoller in the Brill Building when they called me to play on 'Boy From New York City.' I was so nervous, but when I started grooving, that's when I really settled down, because Jerry and Mike cut some really groovy records. That was a great time for me as a studio musician. I'll never forget Leiber & Stoller because they helped me get the knack of the studios. Jerry will be missed."

From Kenneth Gamble: “I admire him as one of the great songwriters of our time. All of his songs—from Elvis Presley and The Coasters straight through to Smokey Joe's Café—were a testament to his stature. As a songwriting team, when you work together so long and one of you passes, the partner loses a person with a truly special connection. We send our condolences to Michael Stoller, their families and their friends."

Gamble & Huff are among the most prolific professional songwriting teams of all time, having written and produced over 3,000 songs within 35 years, an output that rivals Lennon-McCartney, Jagger-Richards, Leiber & Stoller and Holland-Dozier-Holland. Their message songs of peace, love, empowerment, social conscience and turmoil sold millions of records, as they fashioned the sweet, sexy, stirring, socially conscious Philly Sound at Philadelphia International Records (PIR).

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