Posted on 11/20/2004 8:49:44 PM PST by MikeD
Terry Melcher, a record producer and songwriter who aided the careers of Ry Cooder, the Byrds and the Beach Boys, has died, his publicist announced Saturday. He was 62.
Melcher, the son of actress Doris Day, died Friday night at his Beverly Hills home after a long battle with melanoma.
Melcher co-wrote the hit song "Kokomo" for the Beach Boys. The song was used in the movie "Cocktail" and was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1988 for best original song. He also performed on the Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds."
In the early 1960s, Melcher began singing as a solo act and later paired with future Beach Boy Bruce Johnston to form the group Bruce & Terry. The pair had several hits, then went on to form the Rip Chords, which recorded the 1964 hit "Hey, Little Cobra."
In the mid-1960s, Melcher joined Columbia Records as a producer. Working with the Byrds, he produced their top-selling version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" and other hits, including "Turn, Turn, Turn."
Melcher also produced hit songs for Paul Revere and the Raiders and worked with Gram Parsons, the Mamas and the Papas, and Ry Cooder.
He served as the executive producer of his mother's CBS show, "The Doris Day Show," from 1968 to 1972 and co-produced her mid-1980s show, "Doris Day's Best Friends."
Melcher also helped run his mother's charitable activities, including the Doris Day Animal Foundation.
In 1969, his name became linked with the grisly Charles Manson murders.
Melcher once rented the home where actress Sharon Tate and a group of her friends were murdered by Manson followers. Rumors circulated that Melcher, who knew Manson, was the real target because he had turned Manson down for a record contract.
Los Angeles police discounted the rumors. Melcher had since moved to Malibu, and police established that Manson knew of his new address.
Someone should have told him Kokomo is in Indiana, not the Caribbean.
By the way, I love Doris Day.
Damn. Jan Berry earlier this year, now Terry Melcher. That was quite a cool era.
I feel very sorry for his Mother, the class act Doris Day. He was her only child, and they ran a dog friendly hotel in Carmel,California. RIP Terry, and may God give comfort to his Mom.
Yes, there are several types of Skin Cancer, and melanoma is typically the most worrisome.
Skin cancer.
Tragic loss for Doris Day.
Don't forget a Louisiana Dem was also fired for sending an email with an R-rated version of Kokomo from his work computer. I think that should be remembered alongside the history of the song.
Melanoma is the worst of 3 basic types of skin cancer. The other two no one dies from.
This is very sad.
Yes. I understand that melanoma can be particularly difficult to fight.
Yes, and I think your memory of events is accurate.
Marty Melcher took poor Doris to the poor house.
Beach Boys Ping!
They stil have it. The Cypress Inn. My wife and German Shepherd and I stayed there on our anniversary last year. We went back this year, but just to the bar for a drink. Conrad met a nice standard poodle, but she wasn't interested.
It's sad about Terry.
Thanks to all for the melanoma clarification. It's late, I can't remember stuff. Anyway, yeah, Jan Berry, Bobby Hatfield (the Righteous Brothers), and Terry Melcher. And yet, through it all, Brian Wilson is still alive. Truth is stranger than fiction...
He sure did. I just read where she sued his lawyer and won a $22 million dollar verdict. How much she actually received, who knows.
Oh, good to know that.
She deserved every cent returned to her.
I have always liked Doris Day, snd respected
her love of animals.
Another Rip Chords minor hit was "Three Window Coupe." And as Bruce and Terry, they had a very 1964-ish surf song called "Summer Means Fun." Had that endless summer sound to his voice.
From IMDB.com
* While making this film on location (Julie), Doris Day repeatedly complained to her husband 'Martin Meclher' , whose first film as a producer this was, that she felt ill and needed a rest. He insisted that she adhere to her Christian Science beliefs - and the film's shooting schedule - and "have faith" that whatever was ailing her would pass. Once shooting was completed, Day consulted her doctor in Beverly Hills, and discovered a large ovarian tumor, which required her to have a hysterectomy.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0049388/trivia
also
While making this film, Frank Sinatra had an immediate negative reaction to Doris Day's husband, Martin Melcher, and tried to express to Day that he thought Melcher was "using her" to get ahead in the movie business. When Day refused to listen to Sinatra's comments, Frank had Melcher banned from the set. After Melcher's death in 1968, it was discovered that he had squandered Day's entire fortune earned during her 20 year film career.
http://imdb.com/title/tt0047688/trivia
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