Dave Elman

Dave Elman (May 6, 1900 - 5 December 1967) was a noted American radio host, comedian, and songwriter, and important figure in the field of hypnosis and hypnotherapy. He is most known today as the author of Findings in Hypnosis (1964) and the originator of a technique of hypnotic induction. Over the course of his life, he was also well known as the creator and host of the popular radio show Hobby Lobby as well as a songwriter and lyricist.

Dave Elman was born David Kopelman to parents Jacob and Lena on May 6, 1900, in Park River, North Dakota. In 1902, the family moved to Fargo, where they started a business on Front Street making wigs, switches, and related performance equipment.

In 1906, they moved their wig-making business to the Kopelman Building, which they had built at 514 1st Street. In the basement, they provided mikvah services so Jewish women in the community could purify themselves through special cleansing. Lena also began a hairdressing shop next door.

Soon thereafter, Jacob was diagnosed with cancer. When a family friend relieved the intractable pain quite rapidly with hypnosis, Elman set about learning these techniques from him and began to realize the vast possibilities of hypnosis in the relief of pain outside of traditional medical procedures.

Jacob died in November 1908, leaving his pregnant wife with six children. In his early teens, Elman worked odd jobs to help the family. He was a talented musician on the saxophone and violin, and used his quick wit and love of entertaining to perform within the community as a comic.

Elman's performing eventually led to the vaudeville circuit, and he moved to New York in 1922. His stage name in vaudeville was Elman, shortened from Kopelman when his billing as "The World's Youngest and Fastest Hypnotist" did not fit on marquees or promotional material. After being unsatisfied working the nightclubs, he later got a job working for music publishers. It was at this time that Dave became acquainted with the famous blues composer and musician W. C. Handy, with whom he worked for some years. The most well-known songs the duo wrote during this period were "Atlanta Blues", which was later recorded by dozens of other artists including Louis Armstrong, and "Oh Papa!", which was later recorded by Odetta. It was while working with Handy that he met his future wife, Pauline Reffe.

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