Jerry Weintraub
- Sep 25, 1937
- 2 min read
DOB: September 26, 1937 | BIRTHPLACE: Brooklyn, New York | PROFESSION: Talent Agent, Actor, Producer
UNFORTUNATELY, JERRY WEINTRAUB HAS PASSED AWAY
DIED: July 6, 2015 (Age 77 Years)
CITY: Santa Barbara, California, USA
CAUSE OF DEATH: Cardiac arrest
RESTING PLACE: Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery, Los Angeles
OBITUARY: HERE
INTRODUCTION
Jerry Weintraub was an American talent agent, concert promoter and film producer who became legendary for his work with icons like Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, John Denver and for producing major films including Nashville, The Karate Kid series, and the Ocean’s Eleven franchise.
EARLY YEARS
Born Jerome Charles Weintraub in Brooklyn and raised in the Bronx, he began his entertainment career as a mailroom clerk at William Morris Agency. After serving in the Air Force, he studied performing arts before moving into talent representation and concert promotion.
CAREER
Weintraub became a pioneering concert promoter, organizing arena tours for stars such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra and managing acts like John Denver, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin and others. In the mid‑1970s he transitioned into film production with Nashville (1975), followed by hits such as Oh God!, Diner, The Karate Kid and its sequels, as well as the blockbuster Ocean’s Eleven remake and sequels starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt.
His HBO film Behind the Candelabra won 11 Emmy Awards, and he won additional Emmys for the documentary series Years of Living Dangerously and the HBO series The Brink. He founded Weintraub Entertainment Group in 1986, which went bankrupt in 1990, but continued producing successful films thereafter.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Known for his showmanship, humor and storytelling, Weintraub was revered by peers and friends—including George Clooney, who described him as an “ocean of stories.” His memoir, When I Stop Talking, You’ll Know I’m Dead, is filled with anecdotes about his life in show business.
TOP 10 FILMS/TV SHOWS
1. Nashville (1975)
2. Oh God! (1977)
3. Diner (1982)
4. The Karate Kid (1984)
5. Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
6. Ocean’s Twelve (2004)
7. Ocean’s Thirteen (2007)
8. Behind the Candelabra (2013, HBO)
9. Years of Living Dangerously (TV doc series, 2014)
10. The Brink (TV series, 2015)
ACCOLADES
Weintraub won three Primetime Emmy Awards (including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie for Behind the Candelabra and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series for Years of Living Dangerously) and multiple awards for his music specials.
HONORS AND RECOGNITIONS
He received the National Association of Theatre Owners’ Producer of the Year Award in 1986, was granted a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984 (and later in cement at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 2007), and was appointed to the Kennedy Center Board in 1991.
CONCLUSION
Jerry Weintraub’s influence on entertainment—from music to film—was enormous. A master promoter and producer, he transformed the concert business, launched careers, and delivered a string of iconic films. His larger-than-life personality and relentless drive made him one of Hollywood’s most influential figures of the modern era.
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