Jake Hooker (musician)

Jake Hooker
Birth nameJerry Mamberg
Also known asJake Richards, Jake Falsworth
Born(1953-05-03)May 3, 1953
Haifa, Israel
DiedAugust 4, 2014(2014-08-04) (aged 61)
Malibu, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • manager
InstrumentGuitar
Years active1972–1978
Formerly ofArrows
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1977; div. 1993)​

Jerry Mamberg (May 3, 1953 – August 4, 2014), often known as Jake Hooker, Jake Richards, or Jake Falsworth, was a musician, best known as the guitarist for the rock/pop band Arrows.

Life

Hooker was born in Haifa, Israel, but his family moved to the United States when he was a child.[1] Hooker himself moved to England in the 1970s. Hooker joined forces with his friend Alan Merrill, at the time well-known in Japan, to found the band Streak in 1972, which evolved into the Arrows.[2] The band had several hit records produced by Mickie Most.[3] Alan Merrill wrote the song "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" for the Arrows, giving a co-writer credit to Hooker by way of settling a debt.[4] It was a response to The Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)".[5][6][7] The song, recorded in 1975 and originally relegated by Most to a b-side, has gone on to become a rock classic.[7] The Arrows broke ground by hosting their own weekly TV series, Arrows, which showcased many top glam rock acts, on the UK Granada ITV network.[2][8]

Hooker married actress/singer Lorna Luft in London on Valentine's Day 1977.[9][10] Hooker retired as a musician in 1978 when the Arrows disbanded, moving to Los Angeles to manage Luft. Their marriage ended in divorce, following which he continued to reside in Los Angeles, working as a publisher, producer, manager, and entrepreneur, until his death.

Hooker died in Malibu on August 4, 2014, aged 61.[11][12]

Family

Hooker and Luft were divorced in 1993.[13] They had two children together, a son Jesse (b. April 1984) and a daughter Vanessa (b. September 1990).

References

  1. ^ Alvarez, Guille (2014) "Jake Hooker (1953–2014): Yo amo el rock'n'roll", La Vanguardia, August 7, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014
  2. ^ a b Hodkinson, Mark (2013) Marianne Faithfull: As Years Go By, Omnibus Press, ISBN 978-1780388373
  3. ^ Taylor, Paul (1985), Popular Music Since 1955: A Critical Guide to the Literature, Mansell Publishing, ISBN 978-0720117271, p. 184
  4. ^ "Alan Merrill tells the story of I Love Rock 'n' Roll in his final Guitar World interview". March 31, 2020.
  5. ^ "Homefront", Billboard, December 5, 1998, p. 130. Retrieved August 6, 2014
  6. ^ Pollock, Bruce (2005) Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415970730, p. 163
  7. ^ a b Bronson, Fred (2000) "Billboard's" Hottest Hot 100 Hits: Top Songs and Song Makers, 1955 to 2000, Billboard Books, ISBN 978-0823077380, p. 224, 341
  8. ^ Thompson, Dave (2009) London's Burning: True Adventures on the Front Lines of Punk 1976–1977, Chicago Review Press, p. 144
  9. ^ "From the Music Capitals of the World: London", Billboard, February 26, 1977, p. 79. Retrieved August 6, 2014
  10. ^ Glassman, Judith (1977) The Year in Music, Columbia House, p. 296
  11. ^ Garrett, Tommy Lightfoot. "Jake Hooker, A Founder Of 1970s Pop/Rock Group The Arrows, Lorna Luft's Former Husband, Has Died at the Age Of 61, Highlight Hollywood News". Highlight Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  12. ^ Valdizán, Rafael (August 7, 2014). "Murió Jake Hooker, coautor del tema "I Love Rock 'n' Roll"" [Jake Hooker, co-writer of "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", has died]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  13. ^ Moore, Paul (1998) "In Judy Garland's dark maternal shadow", The Baltimore Sun, May 24, 1998. Retrieved August 6, 2014