RIP: David Weiss

Mea culpa, I missed this completely. US songwriter David Weiss died late August of natural causes at the age of 89. Weiss was a prolific writer who wrote or co-wrote classics such as “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”. His songs have been used by Frank Sinatra, UB40, Elvis Presley, The Stylistics and Perry Como. His signature tune (and the one that will see his grandchildren through college) is “What a Wonderful World” co-written in 1968 with George Douglas, immortalised by Louis Armstrong and still a popular choice amongst advertising people. He also wrote the lyrics for the jazz standard ‘Lullaby of Birdland’, which was a hit for Ella Fitzgerald. Weiss was president of the Songwriters Guild of America