Wes Farrell

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Wes Farrell (December 21, 1939 - February 29, 1996) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s. He was responsible for over 300 million record sales, including 70 million sales with The Partridge Family, during his career.

[edit] Career

Among Farrell's songs were "Boys" (co-written with Luther Dixon), originally performed by The Shirelles and subsequently covered by the Beatles, the 1965 US #1 single "Hang on Sloopy" (co-written with Bert Russell, aka Bert Berns), which became the Official Rock Song of the U.S. state of Ohio, the Jay and the Americans US #3 hit "Come a Little Bit Closer" (co-written with songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart) and the theme song for The Partridge Family television series, "Come On, Get Happy".

Recording artists Farrell produced included the Partridge Family (who actually consisted of David Cassidy and Shirley Jones with a team of studio musicians), Elephant's Memory (whose songs "Jungle Gym at the Zoo" and "Old Man Willow" appeared in the movie Midnight Cowboy), and singer Lulu (the title song to the James Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun, and 1970s album material).

Farrell was also the owner of Bell Records, which was a merger of three earlier labels (Amy, Mala, and Bell Records). The company was later bought out by Screen Gems, and eventually became Arista Records, while Farrell went on to found Chelsea Records.

[edit] Personal life

Farrell was born in 1939 in New York City, New York. In 1965 he married Joan Arthurs, and they had a daughter, named Dawn. Farrell and Arthurs divorced in 1972. He was married to actress/singer Tina Sinatra (daughter of Frank) in 1974, and to actress Pamela Hensley in 1979; both marriages ended in divorce. Farrell was later married to real estate mogul Jean Inman and had two children, named Wesley and Sky. Farrell died of cancer in 1996 in Coconut Grove, Florida.