Lee Pockriss, 87, who wrote pop hits such as “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” for an eager, youthful post-World War II generation, died in Connecticut after a long illness. His wife, Sonja, said Friday that he died at home in Bridgewater on Tuesday.
Pockriss, who also worked in musical theater, co-wrote several songs with Paul Vance, including “Catch a Falling Star” in 1957.
Vance called “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” — about a shy young woman in a skimpy bathing suit — a “money machine.” He estimated he made several million dollars from the song, which was recorded by 16-year-old teen idol Brian Hyland, surged to No. 1 on the Billboard charts in August 1960 and has been a pop-culture staple ever since. The Associated Press
