brill building

Rock & Roll/Soul pioneer Bert Berns died of a heart attack today. (December 31, 1967).

Bert Berns, 38, was born on November 8, 1929 in the Bronx New York, to white Jewish Russian immigrant parents.

As a young man he was highly influenced by the Latin sounds and African-American sounds around his neighborhood.

A trip to Cuba cemented his fondness for Latin rhythms which would appear in his future hits.