John Marascalco

2024-10-12T07:16:04Z

70.23.97.253: added information

{{Short description|American songwriter (1931–2020)}}

{{Infobox musical artist 
| name = John Marascalco
| image =File:2002-Lonnie Lee-John Marascalo (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| image_size = 
| birth_name = John S. Marascalco
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|03|27|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Grenada, Mississippi]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|07|05|1931|03|27|mf=y}}
| death_place = [[Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| genre = [[Rock and roll]], [[Pop music|pop]]
| occupation = [[Songwriter]], [[record producer]], [[arrangement|arranger]]
}}

'''John S. Marascalco''' (March 27, 1931<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p306228|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Joslyn Layne |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=29 December 2008}}</ref> – July 5, 2020<ref>[https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/231430370/john-s.-marascalco Find a Grave]</ref>) was an American [[songwriter]] most noted for the songs he wrote for [[Little Richard]].<ref name="AMG"/> He was born in [[Grenada, Mississippi]] and died in [[Los Angeles, California]].

==Career==
Marascalco co-wrote several of the most seminal songs in 1950s rock and roll. Together with [[Robert Blackwell]], he wrote the [[song]]s "[[Good Golly Miss Molly]]", "[[Ready Teddy]]", and "[[Rip It Up (Little Richard song)|Rip It Up]]" made famous by [[Little Richard]]. Also for Little Richard, Marascalco co-wrote "Heeby Jeebies", "She's Got It", and "Groovy Little Suzy". He co-wrote the song "[[Goodnight My Love (1956 song)|Goodnight My Love]]" with [[George Motola]] made famous by [[Jesse Belvin]] and [[Paul Anka]]. Marascalco also collaborated with [[Harry Nilsson]] and co-wrote "[[Be My Guest (Fats Domino song)|Be My Guest]]" with [[Tommy Boyce]].<ref name="AMG"/>

Marascalco co-wrote "[[Send Me Some Lovin']]" with Leo Price, which was recorded by [[Little Richard]], [[the Crickets]] for their 1957 debut album ''[[The "Chirping" Crickets]]'', [[Sam Cooke]], [[Stevie Wonder]], and [[John Lennon]]. He also penned "Wouldn't You Know", which was recorded by [[Billy Lee Riley]].

"Rip It Up" has been recorded by [[Bill Haley and His Comets]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[The Everly Brothers]], [[Chuck Berry]], [[Gene Vincent]], [[John Lennon]], [[Wanda Jackson]], [[Buddy Holly]], [[Gerry and the Pacemakers]], [[The Beatles]], [[Scotty Moore]], [[Cliff Richard]], [[The Million Dollar Quartet]], [[Ral Donner]], [[Shaun Cassidy]], [[Crash Craddock|Billy "Crash" Craddock]], and [[Los Lobos]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/work/3438/versions#nav-entity|title=Cover versions of Rip It Up written by Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco|website=Secondhandsongs.com|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/3924|title=Songs written by John Marascalco|website=Secondhandsongs.com|access-date=April 28, 2021}}</ref>

He wrote the lyrics to the 1956 [[Lloyd Price]] song "Rock 'n' Roll Dance" which was released as a 45 single on [[Specialty Records]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ry8hAQAAIAAJ&dq=john+marascalco+rock+and+roll+dance&pg=PA189|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series|page=189|date=April 28, 1957|access-date=April 28, 2021|via=Google Books}}</ref>

In 1961, [[Gene Vincent]] recorded his song "If You Want My Lovin'". Harry Nilsson recorded Marascalco's "Groovy Little Suzy" in 1964 under the pseudonym "Bo-Pete", which was released as a 45 single on Try Records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Bo-Pete-Do-You-Wanna-Groovy-Little-Suzie/release/3015160|title=Bo-Pete – Do You Wanna/Groovy Little Suzie (1964, Vinyl)|access-date=April 28, 2021|website=Discogs.com|year=1964 }}</ref>

==Harry Nilsson songs==
Marascalco and Scott Turner collaborated on songs for Harry Nilsson, such as "I Just Ain't Right" and "Building Me Up," both of which appear on the albums ''[[Early Tymes|Nilsson '62: The Debut Sessions]]'' and ''[[Early Tymes]]''. Marascalco and Nilsson also wrote songs together, including "Baby Baby" and "Born in Grenada".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.geocities.ws/shakin_stacks/johnmarascalco.txt John Marascalco biography] by Dik de Heer, archived at Shakin' Stacks Library, retrieved February 23, 2012

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marascalco, John}}
[[Category:1931 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:American male songwriters]]
[[Category:People from Grenada, Mississippi]]
[[Category:Musicians from Mississippi]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)]]

{{US-songwriter-stub}}

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John Marascalco