Bennie Benjamin

Bennie Benjamin (actually Claude A. Benjamin, * November 4, 1907 in Christiansted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; † May 2, 1989 in New York City ) was an American songwriter who by titles such as Do not Let Me Be Misunderstood was known.

Life and work

Bennie Benjamin moved with twenty years to New York, where he learned the banjo and guitar at Hy Smith. He then joined initially in vaudeville and with various orchestras to begin in 1941 to write songs when he was a songwriter at a music publishing company. He had success with the number I Do not Want to Set the World on Fire, which he had written with Sol Marcus, Eddie Seiler and Eddie Durham, and later was a hit with the Ink Spots. In the following five years, he wrote in a trio with Marcus and Seiler for Harry James Strictly Instrumental, Vera Lynn and Vaughn Monroe When The Lights Go On Again ( All Over the World) and for Tony Martin Cancel the Flowers. He also studied at New York's Juilliard School of Music.

After that, he worked mostly with his songs with songwriter George David Weiss together; they wrote hits for Perry Como ( Surrender, 1946), Frankie Carle ( Rumors Are Flying, 1946), Frank Sinatra (Oh, What It Seemed to Be, 1946), Patti Page ( Confess, 1948), Kay Starr ( Wheel of Fortune, 1952). The two composed 1947/48 also provided material for the Disney animated movies Fun and Fancy Free and Melody Time. With Perry Como, he founded a music publishing after a few successful titles of 1950. One of her biggest hits was at this time I'll Never Be Free, the Tennessee Ernie Ford and Kay Starr duet and Dinah Washington interpreted.

With Sol Marcus, he first wrote the early 1960s hits for Elvis Presley ( I Will Be Home Again and Lonely Man), then a series of songs for Nina Simone, which appeared on their album Broadway - Blues - Ballads (1964 ), including his best-known song Do not Let Me Be Misunderstood, which was soon successfully gecovert out of the Animals; their version was finally recorded the list of 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. 1968 Benjamin was a music publisher, and founded his own publishing house. In 1984, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. With his wife he created in his last years, a charitable organization dedicated to improving infrastructure and education in the Virgin Islands.

Works (selection)

With Sol Marcus, Ed Durham and Ed Seiler

  • Cancel the Flowers
  • I Do not Want to Set the World on Fire
  • Strictly instrumental
  • When the Lights Go On
  • Can Anyone Explain? ( NO! No! No! )
  • Cross Over the Bridge
  • Echoes
  • How Important Can It Be?
  • I Do not See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
  • I'll Never Be Free
  • I Ran All the Way Home
  • Jet
  • Rumors Are Flying
  • To Think You've Chosen Me

With Sol Marcus

  • Always on My Mind
  • Do not Let Me Be Misunderstood
  • How Can I?
  • I Am Blessed
  • Of This I'm Sure
  • Do not Take All Night
  • I Love Your Lovin ' Ways
  • Why Keep on Breaking My Heart
  • Fabulous Character
  • Lonely Man
Christiansted, United States Virgin Islands United States Virgin Islands Comédie en vaudeville Discogs Name Authority File
115779
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