Benjamin Weisman (November 16, 1921 – May 20, 2007) was an American composer. He wrote 57 songs recorded by Elvis Presley, more than any other songwriter.
Biography
Weisman was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He studied classical piano as a child, and then at the Juilliard School of Music. After being drafted, he became Special Services Music Director for the U.S. Army Air Force, before returning to New York and a career in Tin Pan Alley. Initially, he found success writing with Fred Wise and Kay Twomey, often using the collective pseudonym "Al Hill". Their early successes included "Let Me Go, Lover!", written with Jenny Lou Carson and recorded by Joan Weber, Patti Page, Kathy Kirby, and many others.
He signed an exclusive contract with the music publishers Hill & Range, and began writing for Presley at the request of company co-owner Jean Aberbach. Weisman wrote for Presley from 1956 ("First in Line") to 1971 ("Change of Habit"). Their early association (1957–1962) produced many of the most powerful rockers and poignant ballads in Presley's repertoire, including "Got a Lot o' Livin' to Do", "Follow That Dream", "Rock-A-Hula Baby", "Crawfish", "As Long as I Have You", "Pocketful of Rainbows" and "Fame and Fortune". Weisman later said: