# Denise Eisenberg Rich

Denise Rich (born Eisenberg; January 26, 1944) is an American-born Austrian singer-songwriter, socialite, philanthropist and political fundraiser.

## Early life and education

Denise Eisenberg was born and raised in Worcester, Massachusetts, the daughter of Gery (née Diamant) (died 1989) and Emil Eisenberg (December 24, 1912 – June 13, 2003). Emil Eisenberg, the son of Jula and Wolf Eisenberg, was born in Tarnov, Galicia, Austria-Hungary which is now in Poland since the end of World War II. In 1933, her father left Germany for Paris where he and his three brothers Henry, Zigg, and Jack established a fur store with offices also in New York City and London. In 1940, her parents and her sister Monique left Paris for New York City. In 1942, her father established the Desco Shoe Corporation in Webster, Massachusetts and New York when the Eisenberg family moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, from New York. In 1975 in Tel Aviv, Israel, Emil Eisenberg established a girls' vocational school.
She graduated from Bancroft School and went on to receive her B.A. from Boston University.

## Music career

In 1984, Rich penned the lyrics to "Frankie," a hit in 1985 that went gold for the R&B group Sister Sledge. Since then, she has written songs recorded by Celine Dion, Marc Anthony, Natalie Cole, Luis Fonsi, Jessica Simpson, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, and Diana Ross. She has participated as a writer on Grammy Awards nominated projects, including the 1999 Aretha Franklin / Mary J. Blige duet entitled "Don't Waste Your Time". Denise Rich also contributed to the Grammy Award nominated album, To A Higher Place by Tramaine Hawkins (Columbia Records, 37th Annual Grammy Awards, 1994); as part of this contemporary gospel work, she co-wrote the classic hit "Aim Your Arrow High." She also co-wrote the international hit "Candy" recorded by Mandy Moore. Denise's "Abrazar La Vida" was a number one hit for Luis Fonsi, also earning her the coveted BMI award. Her songs can also be found in soundtracks for films such as Meteor Man (1993), Kiss Me Guido (1997), The Hurricane (1999), To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar (1995) and Runaway Bride (1999). Billy Porter's rendition of Denise's "Love Is On The Way," written for The First Wives Club (1996), inspired Celine Dion to record her triple-platinum version of the song. Patti LaBelle laid down a performance of "The Voice Inside My Heart" for the John Q (2002) soundtrack. The film Chicago (2003) features "Love Is A Crime" co-written by Denise, Greg Lawson, and Damon Sharpe, performed by pop sensation Anastacia, which also won the Grammy for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media in 2004.

## 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, and her daughters Ilona Rich Schachter and Daniella Rich Kilstock founded the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research. It has since been renamed Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research. As of 2018, Gabrielle's Angel Foundation has awarded $33 million in research grants. Rich also made a $1 million donation funding the construction of The Gery and Emil Eisenberg Assisted Living Residence on the grounds of the Jewish Healthcare Center in Worcester, an 80-unit facility named for her parents.

## Personal life

Denise Eisenberg met businessman Marc Rich on a blind date. They married and had three children, Daniella, Ilona, and Gabrielle. They divorced in 1996. She is Jewish.

### Ex-husband's presidential pardon

Marc Rich received a pardon from U.S. President Bill Clinton on January 20, 2001, Clinton's last day in office. The pardon became controversial after reports surfaced that Denise Rich had made donations totalling more than $1 million to the Democratic Party and the Clinton Presidential Center. At a congressional hearing into whether the pardon was granted in exchange for her contributions, Rich invoked the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which denies the government power to compel self-incrimination.

### Citizenship

Denise Rich renounced her U.S. citizenship in November 2011 and became an Austrian citizen.