11 Facts About Bert Berns

Bertrand Russell Berns, known as Bert Russell and Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s.

Shortly after his return from Cuba, Bert Berns began a seven-year run from an obscure Brill Building songwriter to owner of his own record labels.

Bert Berns's first hit record was "A Little Bit of Soap", performed by the Jarmels on Laurie Records in 1961.

Bert Berns himself had a short-lived career as a recording artist, and in 1961, under the name "Russell Byrd", Bert Berns scored his only Billboard Hot 100 appearance with his own composition, "You'd Better Come Home", which peaked at Number 50.

Bert Berns hit the charts in late 1962 with the Exciters' "Tell Him" on United Artists, and with Solomon Burke's "Cry to Me" on Atlantic Records.

In 1963, Berns replaced Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller as staff producer at Atlantic, where he wrote and produced hits for Solomon Burke, the Drifters, Barbara Lewis, Little Esther Phillips, Ben E King, Wilson Pickett and LaVern Baker.

Bert Berns went to England three times between 1964 and 1965, where he produced a number of British Decca songs such as "Baby Please Don't Go," a traditional blues song recorded by Them, and "Here Comes the Night," recorded by Lulu and Them.

Bert Berns formed his own record label, BANG Records, in 1965.

Bert Berns was buried two days later, following a funeral service at Riverside Memorial Chapel on New York's 180 West 76th Street in Manhattan.

The Led Zeppelin outtake "Baby Come on Home" was loosely based on a song Berns wrote for Hoagy Lands, and was recorded in Berns' honour.

Bert Berns was inducted as a non-performer and given the Ahmet Ertegun Lifetime Achievement Award with the 2016 class to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.