Fred Weintraub

Fred Weintraub (born April 27, 1928, The Bronx, New York, USA - died March 5, 2017, Pacific Palisades, California, USA) was an American film and television producer, director and screenwriter. Weintraub was the original owner and host of The Bitter End Cafe in New York City's Greenwich Village. Weintraub's discerning eye discovered and presented to the world such soon-to-be-famous acts as Peter, Paul & Mary, Lenny Bruce (with whom he was arrested for obscenity), Pete Seeger, Randy Newman and The Isley Brothers. The diversity of the Village's most famous club is testament to Weintraub's vision, a partial list (from the Bitter End website) includes early performances of Neil Diamond, Woody Allen, Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, Ricky Nelson (2), Nina Simone, Dustin Hoffman, Charles Aznavour, Lily Tomlin, Stevie Wonder, Kris Kristofferson, Joni Mitchell, George Carlin, Bob Dylan, Harry Chapin, and Phil Ochs. During the early 1960s The Bitter End hosted "Open Mike" Hootenannies every Tuesday night, showcasing young, old, known and unknown talented folksingers.