Don Kirshner, producer and television host who spanned decades and genres, passed away on Monday of heart failure at the age of 76 in Boca Raton, Florida.
Kirshner gained fame as the producer of “Sugar, Sugar” by the Archies. Being a son of the Bronx, he helped along some of New York’s most celebrated singers and songwriters, such as Carole King and Bobby Darin. In the 1960’s, Kirshner was hired by the producers of The Monkees to provide hitworthy songs to accompany the television program,
In 1972, Kirshner started music show on ABC called “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert.” While it has been spoofed on “Saturday Night Live,” the ABC show set the stage for MTV. You know when it was MUSIC television, not vehicle for New Jersey losers to get their 15 minutes.
