R.I.P. LUIGI CREATORE

Luigi Creatore, a former ad jingle writer who co-wrote “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for Elvis Presley, produced several of Sam Cooke's hits and altered the way record producers were remunerated, died 12/13 at home in Boca Raton, Fla. He was 93. The cause was pneumonia.

With his cousin Hugo Peretti, Creatore produced Little Peggy March's “I Will Follow Him,” Cooke's “Chain Gang,” “Twistin’ the Night Away,” “A Change is Gonna Come” and “Wonderful World” and Perry Como albums. Creatore and Peretti created the Hugo & Luigi brand, becoming one of the first production teams to have their name and logo on album covers.

Creatore, born in New York on Dec. 21, 1912, and Peretti entered the music in the early 1950s, producing for Mercury Records. Their hits included Georgia Gibbs' version of LaVern Baker's “Tweedle Dee” and Sarah Vaughan's “Make Yourself Comfortable.”

They entered the record business in 1957,with Morris Levy's Roulette Records, where they were given creative control and ownership shares. Among their first producing success were Jimmie Rodgers' “Honeycomb” and “Kisses Sweeter Than Wine.”

They left for RCA in 1959, becoming the first producers to receive a salary plus royalties and credits on all their releases. Their string of hits includes records by Como, Cooke and the King plus the Isley Brothers' “Shout.” The duo teamed with George David Weiss to write the English lyrics for The Tokens' “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” based on the African folk song “Wimoweh,” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” In the 1970s they were part owners of Avco Records, whose biggest hit was Van McCoy's “The Hustle.”

The three left the record business to write the Broadway musical “Maggie Flynn,” which closed after 73 performances in 1968. In 1977, they produced the original cast album of Bubbling Brown Sugar, winning the Grammy Award for Best Cast Show album.

Creatore is survived by his wife, Claire, and a son, Victor, from his first marriage.

A statement from Recording Academy chief Neil Portnow reads, "Luigi Creatore was a truly gifted songwriter and record producer," adding, "We have lost a gifted and cherished music creator and our sincerest condolences go out to Luigi’s family, friends, collaborators and all who have been impacted by his incredible work. "