Tributes to film boss 
Weintraub

One of the last of the classic Hollywood showmen, Jerry Weintraub rose from the post room of a talent agency to become a top concert promoter before shifting into a decades-long career as a top producer

The Brooklyn-born son of a Bronx jeweller, Weintraub, who has died in Santa Barbara, California, aged 77, worked with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, George Clooney and Brad Pitt – and was a close friend of former president George HW Bush.

Weintraub, who pushed the career of John Denver and produced such hits movies as Nashville, Karate Kid and Ocean’s Eleven, died of cardiac arrest, according to his publicist.

Mr Bush said: “He had a passion for life, and throughout the ups and downs of his prolific career, it was clear just how much he loved show business.”