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253:, and performed in and produced entertainment shows. After returning to civilian life, he joined with lyricist George David Weiss, and established a second successful songwriting partnership with him. The pair wrote some twenty hit songs over the next decade. Their early successes included "Oh! What It Seemed to Be", a 1946 hit for
215:. Although he wrote songs and attempted to sell them, he had little success until starting work at a music publishing firm, and forming a songwriting partnership in the mid-1930s with New York-born composer Sol Marcus (1912–1976). With Marcus,
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Having first established a publishing company with Perry Como in 1950, Benjamin became more active as a music publisher in the 1960s, and set up
Benjamin Publishing in 1965 and Bennie Benjamin Music in 1968. He was actively involved in
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Although
Benjamin and Weiss continued to work together, their hits became less frequent and their working partnership ended in 1955. Benjamin then began working again with Sol Marcus, and the pair wrote
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He studied banjo and guitar at Hy Smith's School of Music, developing a distinctive playing style, and began performing in dance bands. He played guitar and banjo with various orchestras at the
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325:). In 1952, Benjamin and Weiss wrote one of their most successful songs, "Wheel of Fortune", a number 1 hit for Kay Starr which sold over one million copies and provided the theme for a
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s "Top
Songwriter's Award" for 1941. Benjamin, Marcus and Seiler then wrote a second number 1 hit, "When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)", recorded by
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The
Benjamin Foundation was established at his death. As of 2024, it has contributed over three million dollars to Virgin Islands healthcare.
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and Eddie Seiler (1911–1952), he wrote "I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire", which was first recorded in 1941 by
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365:" in 1979, and was on the Council of the American Guild of Authors and Composers. He was inducted into the
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In later life, he became an active investor in the US Virgin
Islands, and became a major stockholder in the
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He was married to Martha Flores from 1944 until her death in 1983.
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131:. He had particularly successful songwriting partnerships with
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He died in New York City on May 2, 1989, after a long illness.
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and his Kansas City
Rockers, and then more successfully by
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141:When the Lights Go On Again (All Over the World)
719:"Songwriter Claude A. `Bennie` Benjamin, 81",
277:and others. They also wrote together for the
123:(November 4, 1907 – May 2, 1989) was a
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537:"I'm Gonna Hate Myself In The Morning"
416:I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
137:I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
610:Anyone (Could Fall In Love With You)
488:I Don't See Me In Your Eyes Anymore
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682:Songs written by Bennie Benjamin,
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249:In 1942, Benjamin enlisted in the
159:". Most of his songs were in the
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811:20th-century American songwriters
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443:Can Anyone Explain? (No! No! No!)
211:, and elsewhere, and toured with
572:"Our Love (Will See Us Through)"
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121:Claude August "Bennie" Benjamin
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667:Mark Clague, "About Bennie",
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558:Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
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16:For the Motown drummer, see
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669:Bennie Benjamin Foundation
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641:Biography by Steve Huey,
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578:"I Love Your Lovin' Ways"
522:To Think You've Chosen Me
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743:Songwriters Hall of Fame
725:. Retrieved 3 April 2017
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699:Songwriters Hall of Fame
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672:. Retrieved 3 April 2017
646:. Retrieved 3 April 2017
540:"That Christmas Feeling"
481:How Important Can It Be?
367:Songwriters Hall of Fame
361:, winning an award for "
153:Oh! What It Seemed to Be
436:With George David Weiss
421:"Strictly Instrumental"
183:, and later within the
575:"Don't Take All Night"
502:I Ran All the Way Home
305:and Kay Starr, and an
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55:Claude August Benjamin
45:Background information
796:Vaudeville performers
460:Cross Over the Bridge
431:"Forever, My Darling"
171:Benjamin was born in
373:Later life and death
303:Tennessee Ernie Ford
111:Songwriter, musician
553:"Always On My Mind"
534:"Moonlight Mystery"
179:, then part of the
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589:Fabulous Character
569:"Of This I'm Sure"
495:I'll Never Be Free
474:Fun and Fancy Free
409:Cancel the Flowers
363:I'll Never Be Free
299:I'll Never Be Free
297:and Perry Como); "
284:Fun and Fancy Free
181:Danish West Indies
149:George David Weiss
81:Danish West Indies
697:Bennie Benjamin,
584:"A Pair of Fools"
512:Rumors Are Flying
319:The Ames Brothers
271:Rumors Are Flying
265:'s number 1 hit "
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563:"How Can I?"
448:"Can't Wait"
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315:Louis Jordan
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229:Horace Heidt
217:Eddie Durham
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199:Music career
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92:(1989-05-02)
806:1989 deaths
801:1907 births
684:MusicVF.com
517:"Surrender"
351:The Animals
343:Nina Simone
290:Melody Time
209:Cotton Club
90:May 2, 1989
770:Categories
617:References
596:Lonely Man
386:Foundation
347:Horace Ott
335:Lonely Man
263:Perry Como
167:Early life
133:Sol Marcus
129:songwriter
66:1907-11-04
51:Birth name
369:in 1984.
267:Surrender
244:Vera Lynn
234:Billboard
195:in 1927.
177:St. Croix
77:St. Croix
703:Archived
269:"; and "
207:and the
189:minister
143:", and "
101:New York
752:Discogs
741:at the
453:Confess
327:TV show
307:R&B
251:US Army
163:idiom.
155:" and "
603:Others
467:Echoes
281:films
279:Disney
507:"Jet"
359:ASCAP
761:IMDb
313:and
287:and
139:", "
87:Died
60:Born
759:at
772::
651:^
625:^
455:""
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