(RepublicanDaily.org) – Veteran songwriter and hitmaker Jerry Fuller has passed away at the age of 85.
His publicist Bobbi Marcus confirmed the songwriter’s death to media outlets. Fuller, who has been battling with lung cancer for some time, died due to complications associated with the illness at his home in Sherman Oaks, California.
Fuller is mainly known for writing Ricky Nelson’s “Travelin’ Man” and Al Wilson’s “Show and Tell”. Both songs rose to the no. 1 spot in the Billboard top 100, in 1981 and 1974, respectively. Other hits written by Fuller include “Young Girl,” for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, and “Little Green Apples” for O.C. Smith. Young Girl was such a smash hit that Puckett and the Union Gap managed to outsell The Beatles in 1968.
Fuller is credit with writing more than 1,100 songs in his lifetime. His work encompassed a plethora of various artists and musicians who recorded his songs. These include Cher, Reba McEntire, Ray Charles, Bobby Vee, Gene Vincent, James Darren, Lawrence Welk, The Kingston Trio, Lou Rawls, The Ventures, Frankie Laine, Don McLean, Vanessa Williams, and others.
Born on November 19, 1938 in Fort Worth, Texas, Fuller embarked on a solo music career as early as just after graduating high school. In a year, Fuller had released “Teenage Love” a solo album, which came out in 1958. He moved to Los Angeles in 1959 and continued his music career there.
Puckett wrote a tribute to Fuller after the news of the latter’s death came out, calling the songwriter a person “who defined my musical identity and destiny.” Puckett also thanked Fuller for giving “SO much to SO many” to the American music industry because of his talent and generosity.
Fellow songwriter Dianne Warren also sent out a quick tribute message to Fuller on social media, posting on Twitter / X that Fuller was responsible for “the great songs that helped paint my childhood.”
‘Write In Power Jerry Fuller,” Warren said.
Fuller left behind a wife, Annette Smerigan, as well as their two children, Adam Lee and Anna Nicole.
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