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Jerry Leiber, the songwriter who penned such classic rock and roll hits as Elvis Presley's Hound Dog and Jailhouse Rock, has died at the age of 78, BBC said.

Leiber earned his reputation alongside co-writer Mike Stoller, penning tunes for The Drifters, The Coasters and Ben E King as well as Presley.

Leiber and Stoller infused their songs with influences from their blues and jazz backgrounds.

Leiber died of cardiopulmonary failure in Los Angeles.

Leiber's career began in 1953 when Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton became the first artist to record Hound Dog.

Then a rhythm and blues number, the track went to the top of the charts.

The song would later become an even more successful hit record for Presley, who reinvented it as a rock and roll standard.

The pair also crafted the enduring Ben E King hit Stand By Me, seen by critics as one of their most influential and enduring songs.