John Benitez

John Benitez (born November 7, 1957), also known as Jellybean, is an American musician, songwriter, DJ, remixer, and music producer. He has produced and remixed artists such as Madonna, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and the Pointer Sisters. He was later the executive producer of Studio 54 Radio. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked him as the 99th most successful dance artist of all-time.

Early life Benitez was born in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City, the son of Puerto Rican parents. After his parents divorced, Benitez and his younger sister Debbie were raised by their mother, who worked in the executive offices of Sloan's supermarkets. Soon, Benitez was influencing the dance charts. He pushed the records "Planet Rock" (1982) and "Let the Music Play" (1983). He also produced "Holiday", which was her first international top ten hit song. "While I was launching her career, I was launching my career as a producer," he said.

In 1985, Benitez signed a production deal with Warner Bros. Records. When Warner Bros. asked Benitez to produce a non-rap song for the Krush Groove soundtrack, he suggested Debbie Harry, who was resurrecting her career. The 1987 track "Who Found Who" (US No. 16) features Elisa Fiorillo. The single "What's It Going To Be" featured Niki Haris, one of three main vocalists on the album together with Cindy Valentine and Deanna Eve. The album received mixed reviews with Ian Cranna in Q Magazine calling it "functional but forgettable".

After not playing anywhere for a decade, David Mancuso invited Benitez to deejay at The Loft in New York City in 2001.

Benitez is currently the executive producer of Studio 54 Radio, which is heard exclusively on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Channel 54). Studio 54 Radio launched in 2011. It features 1970s and 1980s classic dance from Jellybean's personal collection and the vaults and collections of Studio 54 insiders.

Personal life Benitez dated Madonna and model Nikki Scorsese in the 1980s. They have two daughters, Layla Benitez and Reya Benitez. They lived in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan.

Partial discography Albums Year Album Peak chart positions Certifications Record label US UK Chrysalis 1988 Jellybean Rocks the House ― 16 BPI: Silver 1991 Spillin' the Beans ― ― Atlantic 2010 A Celebration in Sound ― ― Jellybean Soul "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Singles Year Single Peak positions Album US US R&B US Dance NZ NED BEL(FLA) GER SWI IRE UK 1984 "The Mexican" — — 1 — — — — — — — Wotupski!?! "Sidewalk Talk" 18 51 1 34 31 — — — — 47 1987 "Who Found Who" (featuring Elisa Fiorillo) 16 — 3 46 95 — — — 21 10 Just Visiting This Planet "The Real Thing" (featuring Steven Dante) 82 49 1 — 22 33 — — 21 13 "Jingo" — — 2 — 16 16 44 18 19 12 1988 "Just a Mirage" (featuring Adele Bertei) — — 4 — 87 — — — 27 13 "Coming Back for More" (featuring Richard Darbyshire) — — 9 50 — — — — — 41 Jellybean Rocks the House! 1991 "What's It Gonna Be" (featuring Niki Haris) 90 — 2 — — — — — — 98 Spillin' the Beans "Spillin' the Beans" — — 5 — — — — — — — 2006 "New York House" (featuring Marlon D.) — — — — — — — — — — Singles only 2008 "Secrets & Lies" (featuring Carla Prather) (promo only) — — — — — — — — — — 2009 "You Bring Me Joy" (featuring Su Su Bobien) (promo only) — — — — — — — — — — A Celebration in Sound(as "3 Amigos" with Marlon D. & Mena Keys) "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released.

Production

Selected remixes

Motion picture / television Benitez composed the theme song to Ricki Lake (1993 talk show) and The Charles Perez Show. He produced motion pictures and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy for his role as an Executive Producer for HBO's For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story starring Andy Garcia. He served as music supervisor and created and mixed tunes for many soundtracks.

Music supervisor Among the motion pictures for which he served as Music Supervisor are:

Soundtrack works Among the motion picture soundtracks for which he created and mixed tunes are:

Television works Among the television show soundtracks for which he created and mixed tunes are: