Sharon Sheeley
A teenage songwriter who helped define the sound of early rock 'n' roll, penning enduring hits for its biggest stars from behind the scenes.
1940–2002 (age 62)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: April 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Sharon Sheeley crashed into rock history as a 17-year-old from Newport Beach, California, with a knack for crafting perfect pop confections. Her first submitted song, 'Poor Little Fool,' became a number-one hit for Ricky Nelson in 1958, making her the first woman to write a chart-topping rock and roll song. She quickly became a sought-after writer in the vibrant Hollywood scene, forming a close personal and creative relationship with Eddie Cochran, for whom she wrote the classic 'Somethin' Else.' Her life was tragically altered by the 1960 car crash in England that killed Cochran and left her seriously injured. She continued to write successfully into the 1960s for artists like Brenda Lee and Glen Campbell, but her legacy remains rooted in that explosive late-50s period where she helped give a generation its soundtrack.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Sharon was born in 1940, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sharon Was Born
The biggest hits of 1940
#1 Movie
Fantasia
Best Picture
Rebecca
Sharon's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1940Born
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1945Started school
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1953Became a teenager
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1956Could drive
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1958Could vote
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Turned 21
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1970Turned 30
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 40
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 50
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 60
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2002Died at 62
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
Key Achievements
- Became the first female songwriter to pen a number-one rock and roll hit with Ricky Nelson's 'Poor Little Fool' (1958).
- Wrote the rock standard 'Somethin' Else,' popularized by Eddie Cochran.
- Co-wrote 'Heartbreak Hotel' for Glen Campbell, a top 40 country hit.
- Her songs were recorded by major artists across rock, pop, and country genres in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Did You Know?
She was in a romantic relationship with Eddie Cochran and was in the taxi with him during the fatal crash in England.
Sheeley was only 17 years old when 'Poor Little Fool' hit number one.
She later married rock musician and songwriter Jackie DeShannon.
She was one of the few female songwriters operating successfully in the male-dominated early rock and roll business.
“I wrote 'Poor Little Fool' on my bedroom floor when I was seventeen.”
