# John Marascalco

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{{Short description|American songwriter (1931–2020)}}

{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name = John Marascalco
| image =File:2002-Lonnie Lee-John Marascalo (cropped).jpg
| caption =
| image_size = <!-- Only for images smaller than 220 pixels -->
| birth_name = John S. Marascalco
| alias = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1931|03|27|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [Grenada, Mississippi](/source/Grenada%2C_Mississippi), U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|07|05|1931|03|27|mf=y}}
| death_place = [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California), U.S.
| genre = [Rock and roll](/source/Rock_and_roll), [pop](/source/Pop_music)
| occupation = [Songwriter](/source/Songwriter), [record producer](/source/record_producer), [arranger](/source/arrangement)
}}

'''John S. Marascalco''' (March 27, 1931<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p306228|pure_url=yes}} |title=Biography by Joslyn Layne |website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) |access-date=29 December 2008}}</ref> – July 5, 2020<ref>[https://de.findagrave.com/memorial/231430370/john-s.-marascalco Find a Grave]</ref>) was an American [songwriter](/source/songwriter) most noted for the songs he wrote for [Little Richard](/source/Little_Richard).<ref name="AMG"/> He was born in [Grenada, Mississippi](/source/Grenada%2C_Mississippi) and died in [Los Angeles, California](/source/Los_Angeles%2C_California).

==Career==
Marascalco co-wrote several of the most seminal songs in 1950s rock and roll. Together with [Robert Blackwell](/source/Robert_Blackwell), he wrote the [song](/source/song)s "[Good Golly Miss Molly](/source/Good_Golly_Miss_Molly)", "[Ready Teddy](/source/Ready_Teddy)", and "[Rip It Up](/source/Rip_It_Up_(Little_Richard_song))" made famous by [Little Richard](/source/Little_Richard). Also for Little Richard, Marascalco co-wrote "Heeby Jeebies", "She's Got It", and "Groovy Little Suzy". He co-wrote the song "[Goodnight My Love](/source/Goodnight_My_Love_(1956_song))" with [George Motola](/source/George_Motola) made famous by [Jesse Belvin](/source/Jesse_Belvin) and [Paul Anka](/source/Paul_Anka). Marascalco also collaborated with [Harry Nilsson](/source/Harry_Nilsson) and co-wrote "[Be My Guest](/source/Be_My_Guest_(Fats_Domino_song))" with [Tommy Boyce](/source/Tommy_Boyce).<ref name="AMG"/>

Marascalco co-wrote "[Send Me Some Lovin'](/source/Send_Me_Some_Lovin')" with Leo Price, which was recorded by [Little Richard](/source/Little_Richard), [the Crickets](/source/the_Crickets) for their 1957 debut album ''[The "Chirping" Crickets](/source/The_%22Chirping%22_Crickets)'', [Sam Cooke](/source/Sam_Cooke), [Stevie Wonder](/source/Stevie_Wonder), and [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon). He also penned "Wouldn't You Know", which was recorded by [Billy Lee Riley](/source/Billy_Lee_Riley).

"Rip It Up" has been recorded by [Bill Haley and His Comets](/source/Bill_Haley_and_His_Comets), [Elvis Presley](/source/Elvis_Presley), [The Everly Brothers](/source/The_Everly_Brothers), [Chuck Berry](/source/Chuck_Berry), [Gene Vincent](/source/Gene_Vincent), [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon), [Wanda Jackson](/source/Wanda_Jackson), [Buddy Holly](/source/Buddy_Holly), [Gerry and the Pacemakers](/source/Gerry_and_the_Pacemakers), [The Beatles](/source/The_Beatles), [Scotty Moore](/source/Scotty_Moore), [Cliff Richard](/source/Cliff_Richard), [The Million Dollar Quartet](/source/The_Million_Dollar_Quartet), [Ral Donner](/source/Ral_Donner), [Shaun Cassidy](/source/Shaun_Cassidy), [Billy "Crash" Craddock](/source/Crash_Craddock), and [Los Lobos](/source/Los_Lobos).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/work/3438/versions#nav-entity|title=Cover versions of Rip It Up written by Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco|website=Secondhandsongs.com|access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://secondhandsongs.com/artist/3924|title=Songs written by John Marascalco|website=Secondhandsongs.com|access-date=April 28, 2021}}</ref>

He wrote the lyrics to the 1956 [Lloyd Price](/source/Lloyd_Price) song "Rock 'n' Roll Dance" which was released as a 45 single on [Specialty Records](/source/Specialty_Records).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ry8hAQAAIAAJ&dq=john+marascalco+rock+and+roll+dance&pg=PA189|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series|page=189|date=April 28, 1957|access-date=April 28, 2021|via=Google Books}}</ref> 

In 1961, [Gene Vincent](/source/Gene_Vincent) recorded his song "If You Want My Lovin'". Harry Nilsson recorded Marascalco's "Groovy Little Suzy" in 1964 under the pseudonym "Bo-Pete", which was released as a 45 single on Try Records.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Bo-Pete-Do-You-Wanna-Groovy-Little-Suzie/release/3015160|title=Bo-Pete – Do You Wanna/Groovy Little Suzie (1964, Vinyl)|access-date=April 28, 2021|website=Discogs.com|year=1964 }}</ref>

==Harry Nilsson songs==
Marascalco and Scott Turner collaborated on songs for Harry Nilsson, such as "I Just Ain't Right" and "Building Me Up," both of which appear on the albums ''[Nilsson '62: The Debut Sessions](/source/Early_Tymes)'' and ''[Early Tymes](/source/Early_Tymes)''. Marascalco and Nilsson also wrote songs together, including "Baby Baby" and "Born in Grenada".

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.geocities.ws/shakin_stacks/johnmarascalco.txt John Marascalco biography] by Dik de Heer, archived at Shakin' Stacks Library, retrieved February 23, 2012

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Marascalco, John}}
Category:1931 births
Category:2020 deaths
Category:American male songwriters
Category:People from Grenada, Mississippi
Category:Musicians from Mississippi
Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)

{{US-songwriter-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [John Marascalco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marascalco) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Marascalco?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.