Michael Brown | Songwriter, 65

Songwriter and keyboardist Michael Brown, 65, has died at his home in Englewood, N.J., Thursday of heart failure, according to family friend Marge Finn.

Born Michael Lookofsky, Mr. Brown grew up in Brooklyn. A keyboardist and songwriter for the band the Left Banke, he cowrote the 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," the Left Banke's biggest hit, which rose to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. He also wrote "Pretty Ballerina," which rose to No. 15 on the Hot 100 chart. - AP