Remembering Leiber & Stoller

When I got an email from Mick Patrick saying he was a friend of Peter Stoller’s, who gave him my address, I was intrigued. The only Stoller I had ever known was Mike, of the famous Leiber and Stoller songwriting and producing team. Peter had to be Mike’s son. Sure enough, he was. Mick said Ace Records of London was issuing a cd called The Leiber & Stoller Story, Vol. 3, and he wanted to know if I would write something for the liner notes. I said, sure, it would be an honor. Also, since Leiber and Stoller played such a critical role in my songwriting career, I would use the assignment as a warm-up to my book of memoirs. Here’s what I wrote for Mick.