Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller hit for The Drifters in 1959, which introduced the use of strings for saxophone-like riffs, tympani for the Brazilian "baion" rhythm they incorporated, and lavish production values into the established black R&B sound, laying the groundwork for the soul music that would follow. Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller Lyricist Jerome Leiber (April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller; (born March 13, 1933) were American songwriting and record producing partners. They found success as the writers of such crossover hit songs as "Hound Dog" (1952) and "Kansas City" (1952). Later in the 1950s, particularly through their work
Jerry and Tom Ronald Reagan's final acting performance, a cold-blooded hit man in "The Killers". Enthused by the thought of following in Reagan's footsteps, Jerry is able to relax and make his first kill. Later, as the two wait for their next hit, Tom tells Jerry about their co-worker, Vic, who is rumored to have had an affair with Marilyn Monroe and assassinated John F. Kennedy. When the target arrives, Jerry asks to make the hit himself, and Tom impatiently watches as Jerry awkwardly attempts to make a clean kill. After Jerry simply pulls out the pistol and shoots the man head-on, they