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"To be a Benny Bell meant to be spirited, witty, funny and sometimes
a little crazy. But to be a Benny Bell also meant to be obstinate,
paranoid, suspicious and sometimes a little hasty.
"Given all the facts about his traits and personality, it is no surprise
that one of the great mysteries of Ben's life and career is whether or not
he ever stood a chance of becoming the famous Tin Pan Alley tunesmith
and vaudeville comic he set out to be. Could he have been one of the select
few to schmooze with Sammy Cahn and trade shticks with George
Burns? Could he have been a card-carrying Friars Club member who
regularly headlined in Miami, Los Angeles, Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas?
"Maybe he could have. But he wasn't."
About the author
Joel Samberg began writing professionally at the age of 17 as a stringer for his hometown newspaper and continued on-the-job training as a student journalist at Hofstra University. He began his career as an assistant editor on trade magazines, then moved into marketing communications. As a journalist his work has appeared in over 20 magazines, and he has been a guest commentator on several documentaries and radio programs. Joel is the author of five nonfiction books, including Some Kind of Lonely Clown, about singer Karen Carpenter.
