Even though Don Kirshner was criminally omitted from Kevin Spacey's 2004 Bobby Darin biopic Beyond the Sea, and only posthumously inducted into the Rock and Hall of Fame this year, Rich Podolsky gives the late pop music mogul behind countless hits some overdue respect in his book, Don Kirshner: The Man With the Golden Ear. Before creating the Monkees, the Archies and late-night, live music show Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, Kirshner co-owned the Aldon Music publishing company located in New York City's famed Brill Building. Dozens of songwriters worked in the Brill, including Carole King, Neil Sedaka, Phil Spector, Neil Diamond and Carole Bayer Sager, penning songs including “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” “You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin',” “Breaking Up Is Hard to Do,” “The Loco-Motion” and “I'm a Believer.” Podolsky narrows in on those pre-British Invasion years between the late '50s and early '60s, when he and his young wordsmiths, all in their 20s, turned singers like Darin, Connie Francis and the Everly Brothers into stars before the songwriters themselves became famous. While King — who released her own memoir earlier this year — conspicuously opted out of this book, Podolsky includes interviews with Kirshner himself, as well as songwriters, singers and proteges such as Sedaka, Gerry Goffin, Jack Keller and Tony Orlando, who wrote the foreword. Podolsky reads from his book at Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Sun., July 22, 4 p.m. (310) 659-3110, booksoup.com.

Sun., July 22, 4 p.m., 2012

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