WASHINGTON, DC.- The Library of Congress recently acquired the manuscripts, papers, photographs and sound recordings of songwriter Doc Pomus, who was responsible for such hits as “This Magic Moment,” “Viva Las Vegas,” and “Save the Last Dance for Me.” Doc Pomus, born Jerome Solon Felder, was a foundational figure in rock ’n’ roll and R&B during the mid-20th century, influencing generations of artists. His music was recorded by such notables as Ray Charles, the Drifters, Dion, Big Joe Turner and Elvis Presley.

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A.K.A. Doc Pomus

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Discover the life and music of Doc Pomus through songwriting, rhythm and blues, rock history, personal struggle, and the unforgettable songs he helped bring to the world.

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The collection, which will be held by the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, includes more than 450 non-commercial recordings of song demos, working tapes, interviews, performances and conversations, as well as lyric manuscripts, journals, notebooks, essays, liner notes and more. The audio recordings serve to document his songwriting process from the early 1950s until his death in 1991.

Highlights of the collection include:

• The first lyric fragment of “Save the Last Dance for Me” that Pomus wrote on one of his own wedding reception invitations.

• An unreleased recording of Pomus performing live at New York City’s Club Musicale, backed by saxophonist King Curtis and guitarist Mickey Baker.

• A 10-inch acetate demo of “Viva Las Vegas” recorded for Elvis Presley with a guide vocal by Mort Shuman.

• A cassette work tape of a Pomus and Mac Rebennack (known as Dr. John) session as they crafted the lyrics and melodies of the songs “Bittersweet,” “Big Mama Blues,” “Black Widow” and “Tango Palace,” the title track of Dr. John’s 1979 album written in collaboration with Pomus. This is just one of many such tapes documenting the duo’s working relationship and acumen.

“The many facets of the Doc Pomus collection bring to life the creative processes of one of the great American songwriters and his relationships with collaborators and performers,” said Recorded Sound Curator Matt Barton. “Classic songs can be seen and heard in their earliest written and recorded forms. The letters, journals and articles he wrote throughout his life reflect his unique spirit, warmth and humor, and his rise, fall and rise again as songwriter.”

“Doc Pomus was a foundational figure in rock and roll and rhythm and blues, and an enduring influence on several generations of artists. The Pomus collection greatly enhances the Library’s documentation around these genres and their development from the 1940s to the 1960s. By way of these working recordings, manuscripts, photographs and ephemera from Doc’s life and career, the collection brings to life his significant contributions and his lasting impact,” said Patrick Midtlyng, head of the Recorded Sound Section. “We all know these songs, but now we get a glimpse into the stories of how they came to be.”





Pomus grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and during his convalescence from polio, listened regularly to the radio, aspiring to be a blues singer in the style of Big Joe Turner, the Kansas City great for whom he ultimately composed “Boogie Woogie Country Girl” and “Love Roller Coaster.” For just over a decade beginning in 1944, he sang in New York City clubs professionally under the stage name Doc Pomus, sharing the stage with top jazz and rhythm and blues performers such as Curtis, Baker, Frankie Newton, Benny Morton and Trummy Young.

By the mid-1950s, Pomus turned his attention to songwriting, becoming a central figure, along with his writing partner Mort Shuman, at Manhattan’s Brill Building, where some of the most popular rock ’n’ roll songs of the late ’50s and early ’60s were written. Pomus and Shuman contributed to the sheer volume of Brill Building hits, including more than 20 for Elvis Presley such as “Viva Las Vegas,” “(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame,” “Little Sister” and “Surrender;” six for the Drifters including “Save the Last Dance for Me” and “This Magic Moment;” “A Teenager in Love” for Dion and the Belmonts; “Turn Me Loose” for Fabian; “Suspicion” for Terry Stafford (also recorded by Presley); “Can't Get Used to Losing You” for Andy Williams; and “Plain Jane” for Bobby Darin.

Later in his career, Pomus booked Bette Midler’s first “Tonight Show” appearance as her musical adviser. He collaborated with Willy Deville, Ken Hirsch and Dr. John, writing for Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Irma Thomas, Marianne Faithful and José Feliciano. Pomus and Dr. John wrote all but one of the songs for B.B. King’s Grammy Award-winning album “There Must Be a Better World Somewhere,” and their partnership lasted more than 20 years, ending with Pomus’ death in 1991. Pomus was posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992.

The manuscripts and photographs from the collection will be available in the Recorded Sound Research Center, along with a complete finding aid online, by September 2026. The audio materials from the collection will be available for research in the Recorded Sound Research Center by January 2027.