Ben Schwartzman was a normal kid: goofy, lovable, talented, confused. As a teen, Ben became a singer-songwriter, performing at coffeehouses and open mics and recording tracks. His dad, Ed Schwartzman, now the owner of BuffaLouie’s and Gables Bagels, attended his performances and encouraged him. Then Ben started descending into an abyss of depression. Psychiatric professionals and medications couldn’t halt his tumble.  Many of his song lyrics bore harbingers of what was to come. On October 15, 2007, Ben took his own life at the age of 19. Now Ben’s music lives on through the efforts of “strangers,” as Ed describes them.

The National Suicide Hotline number is 988.

Hosts Michael Glab and Alex Ashkin chat with Bloomington’s most fascinating people.