Biography

Mike Stoller (1933-2021) was an American songwriter and record producer. He was part of the songwriting team Leiber and Stoller, along with Jerry Leiber. Together, they wrote many popular songs in the 1950s and 1960s, including "Hound Dog" (made famous by Elvis Presley), "Jailhouse Rock," "Stand By Me," "Yakety Yak," and "On Broadway." Stoller was born in New York City and grew up in a musical family. He met Leiber when they were both teenagers and they began writing songs together. Their first hit was "Hard Times" in 1952, recorded by Charles Brown. In addition to their work as songwriters, Leiber and Stoller also produced many of the records they wrote, including for artists like The Coasters and Ben E. King. Stoller continued to work in the music industry throughout his life and received many awards for his contributions to music, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He passed away on March 22, 2021, at the age of 88.