Jerry Weintraub facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jerry Weintraub
Weintraub in 1975
Born	Jerome Charles Weintraub (1937-09-26)September 26, 1937 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	July 6, 2015(2015-07-06) (aged 77) Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Resting place	Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery
Occupation	Film producer talent agent concert promoter actor
Years active	1974–2015
Spouse(s)	Janice Greenberg (div.) Jane Morgan ​ ​ (m. 1965, separated 1980s)​
Partner(s)	Susan Ekins (1995–2015; his death)
Children	4

Jerry Weintraub (born September 26, 1937 – died July 6, 2015) was a famous American film producer, talent manager, and actor. He won three Emmy Awards for his TV films.

He started his career helping singers and actors. In 1970, he managed John Denver, a singer who wasn't very well known yet. Jerry helped John become a huge star with concerts, TV shows, and movies like Oh, God! (1977).

Jerry made history in show business! He was the first person to organize and manage huge concert tours in big arenas for singers. He managed tours for many famous artists like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, The Four Seasons, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, and The Carpenters.

After promoting concerts, he began producing movies. Some of his well-known films include Nashville (1975), Diner (1982), and all the movies from The Karate Kid series. He also produced the remake Ocean's Eleven (2001) and its two sequels. Later, he was a top producer for HBO's TV series The Brink and Behind the Candelabra (2013), which won an Emmy. In 2014, he won another Emmy for Years of Living Dangerously, a documentary about global warming. In 2011, HBO made a documentary about Jerry's life called His Way.

Growing Up and Early Career

Jerry Weintraub was born into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in the Bronx. His father, Samuel Weintraub, was a gem dealer. As a young person, Jerry worked as an usher in a theater and as a waiter.

He started working at MCA Records as a mailroom clerk. After several years, he left to start his own company. He looked up to Lew Wasserman, who was his assistant at MCA.

In the 1960s, he helped create a singing group called The Doodletown Pipers. During this time, Jerry also managed other performers like Paul Anka, Pat Boone, Joey Bishop, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, and singer Jane Morgan. He later married Jane Morgan.

Becoming a Manager and Concert Promoter

Jerry Weintraub won an Emmy for producing An Evening with John Denver in 1975.

Jerry Weintraub became the manager for singer and actor John Denver in 1970. Jerry first saw John performing in a small club in Greenwich Village. He liked John's friendly, "mountaineer" style.

Jerry produced many TV music specials starring John Denver. He even won an Emmy Award for one of them. Later, he produced the movie Oh, God! (1977), which starred John Denver and George Burns. After John Denver became a huge success, he bought Jerry a Rolls-Royce car to say thank you. Jerry remembered, "I couldn't help thinking that it wasn't too long ago that neither of us had bus fare."

In 1970, Jerry convinced Elvis Presley and his manager, Col. Tom Parker, to do Elvis's first national tour. Elvis was already a successful movie star, but he hadn't done a big tour like this before. This tour helped Jerry become a very successful concert promoter.

He then promoted a tour for Frank Sinatra in 1974. Jerry was the first to put Sinatra in Madison Square Garden's boxing arena. Sinatra had mostly stopped performing for six years. Jerry convinced him to go on tour, which helped Sinatra become a "stadium singer."

Bob Dylan also signed with Jerry in 1978. Dylan had seen a Neil Diamond concert that Jerry managed. Dylan then went on a world tour, performing 114 shows for two million people.

Many people say that Jerry's ability to organize these huge concerts changed show business forever. Led Zeppelin's manager, Peter Grant, said Jerry worked very hard to put on these big shows. Jerry himself wrote in his book, "When I believe in something, it's going to get done."

Jerry also managed or promoted concerts for other music groups. These included The Carpenters, The Moody Blues, and The Beach Boys.

Producing Films and Television Shows

Jerry Weintraub's first movie as a producer was Robert Altman's Nashville (1975). No studio wanted to make the film at first. Jerry admired Altman and invited him to a party. Altman told Jerry about the script, and Jerry loved the story. He found investors and gave Altman the money needed to make the film.

After Nashville, Jerry produced other movies. These included Oh, God! (1977), Cruising (1980), and Diner (1982).

The movie The Karate Kid (1984) was a big success. Jerry produced several sequels to this popular film: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994).

Later, Jerry produced many other films for Warner Bros. These included Vegas Vacation (1997), The Newton Boys (1998), and The Karate Kid (2010). He also produced the 2001 remake of Ocean's Eleven. He then produced its sequels, Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007). Jerry even appeared in small roles in all the Ocean's films. He also had a small part in Vegas Vacation (1997) and The Firm (1993).

He was also a top producer for HBO's TV series The Brink. In 2013, he produced Behind the Candelabra, an Emmy-winning drama about the pianist Liberace. In 2014, he won another Emmy for Years of Living Dangerously, a TV documentary about global warming.

In 2011, a TV documentary about Jerry's life, called His Way, was shown on HBO. Jerry also agreed to produce a new movie called The Legend of Tarzan, which came out in 2016 after his death.

Helping Others (Philanthropy)

Jerry Weintraub gave a lot of money to many charities. These included the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Children's Museum of Los Angeles. In 1988, the American Friends of the Hebrew University honored Jerry and his wife, Jane, for their support. He also strongly supported Chabad, a Jewish organization.

In 2007, he started doing charity work to help stop the terrible events happening in Darfur. Jerry, along with actors Matt Damon, George Clooney, Don Cheadle, and Brad Pitt, started a group called Not On Our Watch. This group works to prevent mass killings in Darfur and other parts of the world. They raised over $9 million to help their efforts.

Personal Life

Jerry Weintraub was married twice. His first wife was Janice Greenberg. They had a son named Michael.

His second wife was singer and actress Jane Morgan. They got married in 1965. They adopted three daughters. The couple separated later but never officially divorced. For 20 years until his death, Jerry lived with his girlfriend and partner, Susan Ekins.

Jerry was friends with important people like former presidents George H. W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. He also had a strong spiritual side. He was a follower of The Lubavitcher Rebbe and believed in his special powers.

Death

Jerry Weintraub died on July 6, 2015, in Santa Barbara, California. He was 77 years old.

After his death, many famous people and friends shared their thoughts. Former President George H.W. Bush said, "Jerry was an American original... He had a passion for life... and he loved show business."

Actor Don Cheadle wrote, "Jerry was to me equal parts Godfather, rainmaker, caretaker, PT Barnum and friend." George Clooney, who starred in the Ocean's movies, said that people would remember Jerry's great stories and achievements.

Jerry Weintraub is buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

Filmography

He was a producer in all films unless otherwise noted.

Film

As an actor

Thanks

Television

Awards and Honors

In 1986, the National Association of Theatre Owners named Jerry Weintraub the Producer of the Year. In 1991, he joined the board of the Kennedy Center.

Jerry was one of the first independent film producers to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2007, he also received a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. In 2012, he was honored with the Career Achievement Award at the Zurich Film Festival.

See also

In Spanish: Jerry Weintraub para niños