Grandpa Benny Gave the Gift of Laughter
Passing down warm memories and anecdotes
The stories of Grandpa Benny are full of laughter, recalls humorist Joel Samberg, who is on a mission to follow the family heritage.
One question I always ponder is whether or not I make my grandchildren laugh. I think that’s important – at least for the sake of their memories.
I think about it because it’s almost the 30th anniversary of the passing of my own grandfather, Benny Bell, a songwriter who gave the world the novelty tunes “Everybody Wants My Fanny,” “Take a Ship for Yourself,” and his signature song, “Shaving Cream.”
Grandpa Benny had a few successes during his 75-year career, but he had several demons, such as paranoia and obstinacy, which kept him from truly realizing his dream. His ups and downs in the record business tell only part of his fascinating story (he wrote, arranged, recorded, promoted, and marketed all of his own albums and singles – and there were hundreds of them). The other part concerns his daily life outside of his basement recording studio. Those true stories are where many of the laughs come in. I’d like to share two of them.
Number one: Grandpa Benny was driving on a Brooklyn street when a cop gave him a ticket claiming he didn’t fully stop at a stop sign. Grandpa decided to fight it. In court the judge noticed that the date on the ticket wasn’t the date of the incident. The judge asked the cop about that and the cop said he was distracted because Grandpa was praying behind the steering wheel when he was pulled over. The judge asked my grandfather what he was praying for. Grandpa Benny said that he was praying the cop would write the wrong date on the ticket.
Number two: When I was a teenager I attended a relative’s bar mitzvah at a suburban temple near my home. Grandpa Benny was there, which was good for me because it was a pretty boring affair. At the conclusion of the service the rabbi took the pulpit and spoke about the culture of immediacy; there was too much emphasis, he said, on wanting and acquiring things much too quickly. He admonished us to avoid giving credence to books about major events that are published just weeks after the events take place, to savor the value of good, wholesome cooking rather than depend on instant dinners. He warned us about the emptiness and danger of instant gratification through drugs and casual sex.
Afterward, the guests were ushered into the lobby, where the bar mitzvah boy’s family sponsored a little repast of cakes and beverages. The rabbi was there. With a plate in one hand and a cup in the other, Grandpa Benny went over to the rabbi.
“I enjoyed your speech,” he said.
The rabbi thanked him.
“And by the way, this is the best instant coffee I’ve ever had.”
If there was any fire in the rabbi’s eyes, it dissipated instantly as the irony and humor sunk in. That was one of Benny Bell’s gifts. You just couldn’t stay mad at him. He could always make you laugh.
Instantly.
Joel Samberg’s work has appeared in Pittsburgh Magazine, Hartford Magazine, Brooklyn Magazine, Moment Magazine and many others. He also writes the popular monthly “Off Ramp” column for Connecticut Magazine, for which he recently won first place in the humor column category from the Connecticut division of the Society of Professional Journalists. He is also the author of eight published books. Recently Joel founded a community theater and performing arts group in Avon, Connecticut, called Playhouse 44.
Read more Boomer in our Humor department and from humorists including Greg Schwem and heartfelt smiles from Randy Fitzgerald.
