Jerry Goldstein Makes Songwriters Hall of Fame History As First-Ever Songwriter to Receive Two Nominations in a Single Year

Double Nomination for 2027 Ballot Recognizes His Work with WAR and Feldman, Goldstein & Gottehrer, Honoring Six-Decade Career That Stretches From New York City's Brill Building to Long Beach, CA

Today, legendary songwriter, producer and music industry entrepreneur Jerry Goldsteinmakes history as the first songwriter ever to receive two nominations for the Songwriters Hall of Fame ballot in a single year. Recognizing his work with both Feldman, Goldstein & Gottehrer (FGG) and WAR, the nominations span two defining periods in American music and represent Goldstein's contributions to an expansive catalog of songs that have stood the test of time. Goldstein's FGG nomination is shared with longtime songwriting partners Bob Feldman and Richard Gottehrer, while his WAR nomination recognizes his songwriting contributions alongside the band's founding members and collaborators.

The FGG nomination honors five songs from the trio's catalog: The Strangeloves' "I Want Candy," which reached No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, with chart-topping covers by Bow Wow Wow and Aaron Carter, and has since become a pop culture staple; The Angels' "My Boyfriend's Back," which topped the Billboard Hot 100; "Sorrow," recorded by The McCoys and immortalized by David Bowie; The Strangeloves' "Night Time," which was also a hit by George Thorogood and The J. Geils Band, and "What Time Is It," a Top 10 10 R&B hit by The Jive Five. Together, the selections reflect the trio's range as songwriters and producers and their significant contribution to the pop landscape of the 1960s.

Goldstein's nomination for WAR encompasses five classic hits from the band's expansive catalog: "Low Rider," which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100; "Why Can't We Be Friends?," which peaked at No. 6 and was transmitted by NASA into space during the historic Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975; "The Cisco Kid," which earned two GRAMMY® nominations and shipped one million records on day of release; "The World Is a Ghetto," whose namesake album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and was named Billboard's best-selling album of 1973; and "Spill the Wine," recorded with Eric Burdon, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. WAR has also been sampled and covered hundreds of times, with writer credits on subsequent hits like "It Wasn't Me" by Shaggy, Flo Rida's " "G.D.F.R." Liam Payne "Strip That Down," and many more. These selections reflect both the breadth of WAR's music and its lasting influence across rock, funk, soul, jazz and Latin music today.

Goldstein's career began in the early 1960s, when he joined childhood friend Bob Feldman and songwriter Richard Gottehrer in New York's Brill Building to form Feldman, Goldstein & Gottehrer. The partnership became one of the era's most successful songwriting and production teams, creating a string of hits that helped shape the sound of early '60s pop. The trio also performed as The Strangeloves, adopting a fictional backstory as three brothers from an Australian sheep farm. Their distinctive sound and irreverent sensibility set them apart in the era's pop landscape. Having helped define the sound of the '60s, Goldstein would go on to shape decades more of American music with WAR.

Goldstein first brought together the musicians who would form WAR with former Animals frontman Eric Burdon, helping establish a group whose sound drew on rock, funk, soul, jazz and Latin influences. Following Burdon's departure, Goldstein continued to guide the band as its producer and a central creative force, overseeing the development of a catalog that remains among the most recognized and enduring in the American songbook.

Goldstein's production and executive work extends to artists including Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Funkadelic, Tim Buckley, Tanya Tucker, in addition to founding The Visual Thing, an early groundbreaking rock merchandising company whose roster included The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Beach Boys.

Across more than six decades, Jerry Goldstein has established a singular legacy in American music, shaping its sound through an expansive body of songwriting, production and creative work. From the Brill Building hits that helped define the 1960s to his landmark work with WAR in the following decade, Goldstein has contributed to a catalog that has transcended generations, with songs that remain deeply embedded in the American musical landscape. His distinction as the first songwriter ever to receive two Songwriters Hall of Fame nominations in a single year speaks to the remarkable scope of his songwriting achievements and the lasting influence of a career that has helped shape the soundtrack of American life.