"I don't really know what else to say, but I know we have our differences, but I will always love you unconditionally, " he wrote at the end.

NPR: APNewsBreak: Prayers Before SC Woman Killed Family

At the height of the "girl group" phenomenon which ran roughly from 1961 to 1966 he co-wrote "Be My Baby, " "Baby, I Love You, " "Chapel of Love, " "Leader of the Pack, " "River Deep, Mountain High" and dozens of others.

WSJ: Girl Groups' Go-to Guy | Jeff Barry | Cultural Conversation by Marc Myers