Ivan Wilzig

Ivan L. Wilzig
Background information
Also known as	Peaceman, Sir Ivan, Mr. Mitzvah
Born	January 6, 1956 (1956-01-06)
Origin	Newark, New Jersey
Genres	Electropop-Rock
Occupations	Musician, Philanthropist, Media personality
Years active	2000-present
Labels	Jellybean Recordings Tommy Boy Records Artemis Records Peaceman Music
Website	SirIvanMusic.com

Ivan L. Wilzig (born January 6, 1956), also known as Sir Ivan or Peaceman, is a musician who is best known for techno remixes of 1960s songs such as "Imagine" and "San Francisco". He is also founder of the nonprofit Peaceman Foundation and appeared as Mr. Mitzvah on Season Two of the reality television show Who Wants to be a Superhero?

Early life and career

Ivan Wilzig was born in 1956 and raised with his two younger siblings, Alan and sister Sherry, in Clifton, New Jersey. Wilzig's father Siegbert (Siggi) Wilzig (who died in January 2003) had come to the United States as a destitute German Holocaust survivor. 59 of Ivan Wilzig's relatives had been killed during the Holocaust. Siggi Wilzig then earned a fortune as president of the Trust Company of New Jersey and chairman of the Wilshire Oil Company of Texas.

In his youth Wilzig attended an Orthodox Hebrew school, and also sang in the Hebrew choir at the local synagogue. He began voice lessons in his teens, but was later discouraged from continuing in music by his father, who wanted his son to have a more secure profession. He has a particular love for comic books — especially Captain Marvel, Superman, and Batman.^{[citation needed]}

Ivan Wilzig graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, earning a degree in European intellectual history. He then earned his law degree at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. Upon graduating Wilzig practiced law for a year, and has stated he hated being a lawyer. He then joined his brother, Alan Wilzig, in assisting their father in running the Trust Company Bank of New Jersey. Most of Ivan Wilzig's work at the bank was in public relations and marketing. One of Wilzig's most notable accomplishment at the Trust Company Bank was the brokering of a deal that allowed several bank branches to open up at A&P Supermarkets. He sat on the board of the Trust Company Bank starting in 2001, finally leaving in 2004 when the bank was acquired by North Fork Bank.

Peaceman

In 2001 Wilzig played some demo tapes for acquaintance Dave Jurman of Dance Music at Colombia Records. Jurman introduced Wilzig to Grammy-Award winning producer Ernie Lake, who produced Wilzig's remix of John Lennon's "Imagine," with Wilzig performing vocals. Tom Silverman, owner of Tommy Boy Records and founder of the Winter Music Conference, signed the track and released it on September 4, 2001. The single sold 10,000 vinyl copies in its first four months. The remix also became a Top-40 hit on the Billboard Club play chart.

Wilzig continued to release techno remixes of up-beat "hippie" music of the 1960s, such as "Blowing in the Wind" and "San Francisco". The remix of "San Francisco" was signed by producer Jellybean Benitez, and released on Jellybean Recordings, reaching #7 on the Billboard Singles sales chart. "Imagine", "San Francisco" and "Peace on Earth" were produced by Grammy-nominee Ernie Lake. His newest song, "For What It's Worth", was produced by FORD aka Lawrence Fordyce.

Wilzig released his first original song, "Peace on Earth," in August 2004 on Artemis Records. It reached #42 on the Billboard dance charts, and according to Artemis president Daniel Glass, received generous play at clubs in Ibiza. His debut 15-track album, I Am Peaceman, was released in September 2010 on AWAL. His dance remix of "Hare Krishna" reached #10 on the Billboard Dance charts on April 16, 2011. Wilzig describes his music as techno produced tracks with hippie lyrics, which he shortens to "technippy."

Wilzig is the founder of the non-profit Peaceman Foundation, and as the spokesman he began to dress as a caped character named Peaceman. Wilzig has stated he was inspired to adopt the Peaceman persona after suicide bombings in Israel and the events of September 11, 2001. "Then the world finally woke up and realized that evil is evil, and that there is right and wrong, and there are the bad guys versus the good guys," said Wilzig.^{[citation needed]}

The Castle

In the late 1990s Wilzig and his brother Alan built a lavishly decorated 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m²) medieval-style estate in Water Mill on Long Island, New York. Referred to as "the Castle", it has also been dubbed in the media and by Wilzig as the "Playboy Mansion of the East Coast". It was featured in a number of television shows, including the Travel Channel's Grand Castles of America. Wilzig has stated that after building the castle his father began calling him "Sir Wilzig," and the name stuck. In August 2011, Wilzig hosted India's Crown Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil, a gay rights activist, at the castle.

Television appearances

Mr. Mitzvah

During the first season of Who Wants to be a Superhero? in 2006, Wilzig attempted to audition with the producers as Peaceman, but he was too late to be included. He was encouraged to audition for the next season.^{[citation needed]} His "Peaceman" character made the cut for Season Two, but as a precondition, the Sci Fi Channel and NBC obtain the trademarks to contestant characters. Wilzig refused to give up the trademark to "Peaceman" and attempted to create a new character "Mitzvah Man", but the name had already been trademarked. "Mr. Mitzvah", however, was not trademarked, and Wilzig took on the identity of Mr. Mitzvah for the show. He was eliminated in the third episode.^{[citation needed]}

===Other television===

Wilzig has appeared on a number of lifestyle and reality television shows since 2000. He was on the dating show Manhattan on the Beach in 2000, and Single in the Hamptons in 2002. VH1 featured Wilzig in 2003 (Hopelessly Rich) and in 2007 (The Fabulous Life of the Hamptons).

He appeared on the German show ProSieben right after September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks, where he introduced his "Imagine" remix. Also present on the show was Mina Otsuka, Wilzig's best friend, who had escaped the attacks from her office on the 79th floor of Two World Trade Center. In early 2004 Wilzig reappeared on ProSieben, this time as part of the series So lebt ein Milliardaer! Lifestyle of a Billionaire). Wilzig appeared as Peaceman next to supermodel Naomi Campbell, DJ Paul Oakenfold and tennis player Venus Williams. In 2006 ProSieben featured him in Die Maedchen und der Milliardaer (The Girls and the Billionaire).

At one point Wilzig filmed a television pilot for his Peaceman character, which he stated was a combination of reality, scripted material and animation. Its airing status is unknown.

Sir Ivan hosted a medieval pig roast and statue unveiling on episode 5 of Bravo's Chef Roble and Co, which aired January 1, 2012. http://www.bravotv.com/chef-roble-and-co/season-1/episode-5-the-crazy-hamptons-blowout

Sir Ivan appears as "Peaceman" in 3net's "Crazy Land" Episode 1 slated to air in March, 2012

Discography

Singles

• "Imagine" Remix (2001, Tommy Boy Records)
• "San Francisco" Remix
• "Blowing in the Wind" Remix (Jellybean Recordings)
• "Peace on Earth" (2004, Artemis Records)
• "For What It's Worth" Remix (Peaceman Music)
• "Kumbaya" (Peaceman Music)
• "Hare Krishna" Remix (2010, AWAL)

Albums

• I Am Peaceman (2010, AWAL)

Further reading

• "A Caped Crusader for Peace (and Fun); Rich and Famous for His Fame, He's Shooting for Techno Stardom". The New York Times. October 2004. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0C11F6395F0C7A8CDDA90994DC404482. 
• Video of Ivan on VH1's The Fabulous Life of the Hamptons

External links

• Official website
• Ivan Wilzig at the Internet Movie Database