The wedding that inspired “Save the Last Dance for Me”

Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress

06/25/2026 08:00 AM EDT

"Save the Last Dance for Me," first recorded by The Drifters in 1960, has long been a staple of American pop culture as a love song at weddings, anniversaries and countless other romantic occasions. It's been recorded by more than 500 artists over the decades. The Library recently acquired the collection of Doc Pomus, the legendary songwriter who wrote or cowrote "Dance" and many other hits ("Viva Las Vegas," "This Magic Moment"). The collection contains the invitation to the 1957 wedding reception for Pomus and actress Willi Burke on which he scrawled out "Save the last dance for me." The bittersweet irony -- Pomus had polio as a child, could not walk unaided as an adult and encouraged his bride to dance with others at the reception. The iconic song followed.

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