Toni Stern was a lyricist who worked with Carole King to write such songs as the No. 1 hit “It’s Too Late.”
- Died: January 17, 2024 (Who else died on January 17?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in Santa Ynez, California, at the age of 79.
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Toni Stern’s legacy
Stern met King in the late 1960s, when she was living and working in the legendary Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles. A rich rock ‘n roll culture was thriving in the neighborhood at the time, and King had just moved from the East Coast to join it. King was already a successful songwriter alongside Gerry Goffin (1939–2014), her former husband, but she hadn’t yet released recordings of her own music.
That changed when she began working with Stern. The pair collaborated on two songs for King’s 1970s debut album, “Raspberry Jam” and “What Have You Got to Lose,” with Stern writing the lyrics. The writing partnership became legendary with King’s next album, the beloved classic “Tapestry.” Stern wrote the lyrics for “It’s Too Late,” a chart-topping smash hit that remains a staple of classic rock radio. She also contributed lyrics to “Where You Lead,” which was a hit for Barbra Streisand and later was used as the theme song to the TV show “Gilmore Girls” with rewritten lyrics by Stern.
Stern worked with King on her next two albums, writing lyrics for several songs, including “It’s Going to Take Some Time,” later a hit for the Carpenters. Choosing not to continue in the music industry, Stern moved her focus to poetry, publishing such books as “As Close As I Can” and “The Wet Clay of My Heart.”
Notable quote
“Stayed in bed all mornin’ just to pass the time
There’s somethin’ wrong here, there can be no denyin’
One of us is changin’, or maybe we’ve just stopped tryin’” —from “It’s Too Late”
Tributes to Toni Stern
Full obituary: The New York Times
