- Born
- Died
- Birth nameBenjamin E. Weisman
- Nickname
- The Mad Professor
- Ben Weisman was born on November 16, 1921 in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. He was a composer, known for Dark City (1998), Limitless (2011) and Punch-Drunk Love (2002). He was married to Lisa (Elsie) Helena Grenz. He died on May 20, 2007 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- SpouseLisa (Elsie) Helena Grenz(19?? - November 9, 2001) (her death)
- He also wrote for other pop stars, including Barbra Streisand, Johnny Mathis, Bobby Vee and the Beatles.
- Weisman, whom Elvis Presley dubbed "the mad professor," wrote or co-wrote a string of gold and platinum selling songs for Presley, including "Follow That Dream" and "Fame and Fortune." His songs include "Wooden Heart" for the movie G.I. Blues, "Rock-a-Hula Baby" for Blue Hawaii and "Crawfish" for King Creole.
- Born in Providence, R.I., Weisman was raised in Brooklyn. He studied classical piano as a teenager and at the Juilliard School of Music.
- He began writing for Presley in 1956 at the request of his music publisher, Jean Aberbach. He was 85 when he died.
- He was a music director in the US Army Air Corps during WWII.
- I approached writing for Elvis differently than I did for any other artist. The songs had to have a combination of blues, country, rock and pop...With each new Elvis movie, more of my songs were being recorded...I was becoming the only songwriter to have so many songs recorded by him.
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