Howard Greenfield

Howard Greenfield
Name	Howard Greenfield
Background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
Birth date	January 21, 1936
Birth place	Brooklyn, New York City
Death date	March 4, 1986
Death place	New York City
Occupation	Songwriter, lyricist
Years active	1950s–1986
Associated acts	Neil Sedaka, Carole King, Burt Bacharach, Hal David

Howard Greenfield Howard Greenfield was an American lyricist and songwriter prominent in the Brill Building era whose collaborations shaped pop music from the 1950s through the 1980s. Best known for his long partnership with composer Neil Sedaka, Greenfield also wrote for performers and publishers tied to Aldon Music, Brill Building, and labels such as RCA Records and Columbia Records. His career intersected with figures from Don Kirshner to Phil Spector, influencing pop, rock, and adult contemporary charts.

Early life and education

Greenfield was born in Brooklyn, New York City, and grew up during the Great Depression and World War II era alongside neighborhoods tied to Coney Island and Williamsburg, Brooklyn. He attended local schools and became involved in songwriting circles influenced by nearby industry hubs like the Brill Building and publishing houses including Aldon Music and Screen Gems. Early connections brought him into contact with songwriters associated with Tin Pan Alley traditions and contemporaries such as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Burt Bacharach, and Hal David.

Career and songwriting collaborations

Greenfield's professional breakthrough came through a partnership with Neil Sedaka at Aldon Music, producing hits for artists on RCA Victor and other labels. He later worked with producers and executives including Don Kirshner, Phil Spector, Jerry Leiber, and Mike Stoller, and collaborated with composers such as Jack Keller, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and Paul Simon. His songs were recorded by performers including Connie Francis, The Tokens, Lesley Gore, Bobby Darin, and Tommy Sands, and published through firms like Screen Gems-EMI and Chappell & Co..

Greenfield also contributed to music for television and Broadway circles connected to artists like Barbra Streisand and worked with arrangers and session musicians tied to The Wrecking Crew and studios such as A&M Studios and United Western Recorders. Collaborations extended internationally with adaptations by European performers associated with labels like Philips Records and Decca Records.

Notable songs and chart success

Among Greenfield’s best-known compositions with Neil Sedaka are charting singles including "Calendar Girl", "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do", "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen", and "Next Door to an Angel", which reached high positions on the Billboard Hot 100. He co-wrote "Stupid Cupid" for Connie Francis and "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" recorded by Pop artists who reached charts in the United Kingdom and United States. His work placed on charts compiled by Billboard and internationally on charts such as the UK Singles Chart and influenced the repertoire of performers on Motown and Atlantic Records rosters.

Greenfield’s songs were covered and reinterpreted by artists across genres, including The Beatles-era contemporaries, Dusty Springfield, Neil Diamond, Tommy Roe, and later revivalists during the 1970s and 1980s who issued re-recordings and live renditions that renewed interest in Brill Building material.

Personal life and relationships

Greenfield maintained friendships and professional ties with prominent songwriters like Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Neil Sedaka, Phil Spector, and music executives including Don Kirshner and Mitch Miller. He was part of social circles that included performers such as Connie Francis, Lesley Gore, Bobby Darin, and industry figures connected to RCA Records and Columbia Records. Greenfield’s personal life intersected with cultural movements in New York City and with peers involved in LGBTQ+ communities, social networks that also included creatives associated with Broadway and Off-Broadway scenes.

Health challenges and later years

In his later years Greenfield faced significant health challenges, including battles with illnesses prevalent in the era that affected many in artistic communities. Medical care in New York City hospitals and interactions with organizations aware of artists’ health intersected with broader public health responses during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Despite declining health, he continued to write, collaborate, and supervise publishing interests with companies such as Screen Gems-EMI and interact with younger musicians and producers from studios like Hit Factory.

Legacy and influence on popular music

Howard Greenfield’s lyrical craftsmanship contributed to the development of American pop songcraft alongside contemporaries like Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Burt Bacharach, and Hal David. His work with Neil Sedaka helped define the sound that bridged 1950s teen pop and 1960s mainstream charts, influencing later singer-songwriters including Paul Simon, Neil Diamond, and revival acts during the 1970s and 1980s. Greenfield’s songs remain in repertoires, anthologies, and film and television soundtracks produced by studios such as Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and music supervisors working on period pieces.

Greenfield’s catalog is preserved through music publishing houses tied to ASCAP, legacy compilations issued by Rhino Records and reissues by Sony Music Entertainment, ensuring continued study by scholars of popular music and historians focused on the Brill Building era. His influence is acknowledged in retrospectives and exhibitions at institutions like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and archival projects documenting mid-20th-century American songwriting.

Category:American lyricists Category:Brill Building songwriters Category:1936 births Category:1986 deaths