- published: 24 Nov 2011
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Jerome Solon Felder, better known as Doc Pomus (June 27, 1925 - March 14, 1991), was an American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992. He was also inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. and the Blues Hall of Fame.
Born Jerome Solon Felder in 1925 in Brooklyn, New York, his parents were Jewish immigrants. Felder became a fan of the blues after hearing a Big Joe Turner record. Having had polio as a boy, he used crutches to walk. Later, due to post-polio syndrome, exacerbated by an accident, Felder eventually relied on a wheelchair.
His brother is New York attorney Raoul Felder.
Using the stage name "Doc Pomus," Felder began performing as a teenager, becoming a blues singer; his stage name wasn't inspired by anyone in particular, he just thought it sounded better for a blues singer than the name Jerry Felder did. Pomus stated that more often as not, he was the only Caucasian in the clubs, but that as both a Jew and a polio victim, he felt a special "underdog" kinship with African-Americans, while in turn the audiences both respected his courage and were impressed with his talent. Gigging at various clubs in and around New York City, Pomus often performed with the likes of Milt Jackson and King Curtis.
Lewis Brian Hopkins Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969), was an English musician and a founder member of the Rolling Stones.
Jones' main instruments were the guitar and the harmonica, but he played a wide variety of other musical instruments and was a talented multi-instrumentalist. His innovative use of traditional or folk instruments, such as the sitar and marimba, was integral to the changing sound of the band.
Originally the leader of the group, Jones' fellow bandmembers Mick Jagger and Keith Richards soon overshadowed him; especially after they became a successful songwriting team. He developed a serious drug abuse problem over the years and his role in the band steadily diminished. He was asked to leave the Rolling Stones in June 1969 and guitarist Mick Taylor took his place in the group. Jones died less than a month later by drowning in the swimming pool at his home on Cotchford Farm in East Sussex.
Original Stones bassist Bill Wyman stated about Jones: "...he formed the band. He chose the members. He named the band. He chose the music we played. He got us gigs ... Very influential, very important, and then slowly lost it - highly intelligent - and just kind of wasted it and blew it all away."
Man in a wheelchair in the lobby of the Forrest With frighters, hustlers, hard-up millionaires
Mobsters, cops, whores, pimps and Marxists All human life is there
Man in a wheelchair listens to the chatter Writes down all the insane crap he hears
He can't move around but it doesn't really matter In the Forrest all you need is eyes and ears
And out they pour, the hits and misses Turn Me Loose, Lonely Avenue And down in Nashville Elvis sings Suspicion Pomus/Shuman, 1962
And he never could be one of those happy cripples The kind that smile and tell you life's OK
He was mad as hell, frightened and bitter He found a way to make his feelings pay
Back at the Forrest, in the steakhouse off the lobby Another diner gets three bullets in the head
Doc looks down and carries on eating his linguine Tries to think up a lyric for the dead
Fred Neil, Jack Benny, and crazy Phil Spector Pumpkin Juice and Eydie Gormé Damon Runyon Jr. and the Duke's orchestra All superhuman life was there
And he never could be one of those happy cripples The kind that smile and tell you life's OK He was mad as hell, frightened and bitter He found a way to make his isolation pay