Denise Eisenberg Rich - Biography

Denise Rich, née Eisenberg (born January 26, 1944, Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American songwriter, socialite, philanthropist, and political fundraiser.

Music

In 1984, Rich penned the lyrics to "Frankie", a hit in 1986 for the R&B group Sister Sledge. Since then, she has written songs recorded by Phyllis Hyman, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Jessica Simpson, Marc Anthony, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan and Diana Ross. Her work has been nominated three times for Grammy Awards, most recently for the 1999 Aretha Franklin/Mary J. Blige duet "Don't Waste Your Time".

Family

Marc Rich and Denise Eisenberg met on a blind date, engineered by her father, wealthy shoe manufacturer Emil Eisenberg. They married in 1966 and had three children, Daniella, Ilona, and Gabrielle. They divorced in 1996.

Philanthropy

Gabrielle Rich Aouad, Denise and Marc Rich's daughter, died of leukemia at age 27. As a result, Denise Rich and Philip Aouad, Gabrielle's widower, founded the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research. It has since been renamed Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research.

Ex-husband's presidential pardon

Marc Rich received a controversial pardon from U.S. President Bill Clinton on January 20, 2001, Clinton's last day in office. At a congressional hearing into whether the pardon was granted in exchange for Denise Rich's contributions to the U.S. Democratic Party and the Clinton Library, she invoked the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which denies Congress the authority to compel self-incrimination.

See also

• Marc Rich