Rock 'n' roll great Jerry Leiber [half of Leiber and Stoller] dies at 78

Rock 'n' roll great Jerry Leiber dies at 78

Los Angeles - Rock 'n' roll pioneer [and Rock Hall legend] Jerry Leiber, who wrote some of the genre's most timeless hits from Hound Dog to Jailhouse Rock, died Monday [Aug 22, 2011] at the age of 78.

Leiber died of cardiopulmonary failure at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles surrounded by his family, his publicist Bobbi Marcus said.

Leiber, a lyricist, rose to fame with Elvis Presley's 1954 [remake] release of Hound Dog, which he co-wrote with his longtime partner Mike Stoller. Among their other iconic songs were the Ben E King [co-written] classics Stand By Me and Spanish Harlem and the Drifters' On Broadway. The song-writing duo had 15 number one hits for 10 artists.

'Together, they were an extraordinary team that generated a rich and diverse musical catalog that leaves an indelible imprint on our cultural history,' said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.