Gourt > Arts > People > B > Berlin, Irving (2)
Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888 – September 22, 1989), born Israel Isidore Beilin (as per *), in Tyumen, Russia (or possibly Mogilev, now Belarus), was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history. Berlin got his start as a lyricist for other composers, and although he never learned how to play a piano or read music beyond a rudimentary level, he wrote over 3,000 songs. About half of Berlin's works became popular on Broadway and in Hollywood, leaving an indelible mark on American music and culture with hits such as "God Bless America," "White Christmas," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and '"There's No Business Like Show Business." Berlin produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores in addition to his individual songs.
Early years
Irving Berlin was born to a Jewish family. His family migrated to the United States in 1893. His parents were Lena Jarchin and Moses Beilin, who was a rabbi and obtained work certifying kosher meat (see *). Following the death of his father in 1896, Irving found himself having to work to survive. He did various street jobs including selling newspapers and busking. The harsh economic reality of having to work or starve was to have a lasting effect on the way Berlin treated money. While working as a singing waiter at Pelham's Cafe in Chinatown, Berlin was asked by the proprietor to write an original song for the cafe because a rival tavern had had their own song published. "Marie from Sunny Italy" was the result and it was soon published. Although it only earned him 37 cents, it gave him a new career and a new name: Israel Baline was misprinted as "I. Berlin" on the sheet music.
Early work
In 1911 the hit song "Alexander's Ragtime Band" launched a musical career that would include over a thousand songs. Richard Corliss, in a Time Magazine profile of Berlin in 2001, wrote: More on [ Irving Berlin ]
Composers :: Movies
Songwriters :: Songwriting
Vocal :: V
Tin Pan Alley Pop :: Vocal
Traditional Pop :: Vocal
Composers :: Musicals
Mon Dec 28 Cabrillo Music Theatre Presents: Irving Berlin's White Christmas @ Fred Kavli Theatre-Thousand Oak http://tinyurl.com/y8e2es7
LiveLosAngeles (Los Angeles Live) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 23:40:23 -0000
Mon Dec 28 Cabrillo Music Theatre Presents: Irving Berlin's White Christmas @ Fred Kavli Theatre-Thousand Oak http://tinyurl.com/y8e2es7
RT @Hulahomes: RT @CHRISVOSS: Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it Irving Berlin
awakeningaimee (Aimee Pilz) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:24:53 -0000
RT @Hulahomes: RT @CHRISVOSS: Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it Irving Berlin
@StacyDimorh Don't forget Irving Berlin who wrote all the songs for White Christmas!
OriginalSpinTV (Original Spin TV) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:22:20 -0000
@StacyDimorh Don't forget Irving Berlin who wrote all the songs for White Christmas!
RT @CHRISVOSS: Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it Irving Berlin
Hulahomes (Robert Huber) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:21:52 -0000
RT @CHRISVOSS: Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it Irving Berlin
mmm...mmmm...good!!!! ⥠watching my favorite Christmas movie... Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire music by Irving Berlin. â¥
bdunham90 (Brielle Dunham) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 22:14:30 -0000
mmm...mmmm...good!!!! ♥ watching my favorite Christmas movie... Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire music by Irving Berlin. ♥
[VOA] Irving Berlin, 1888-1989: He Wrote the Songs that Made America Sing http://bit.ly/8vY4x0
bottonVOA (bottonVOA) Fri, 25 Dec 2009 21:39:13 -0000
[VOA] Irving Berlin, 1888-1989: He Wrote the Songs that Made America Sing http://bit.ly/8vY4x0
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Blue: Irving Berlin, 1888-1989 - Brief biography from an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution saluting the American musical. Includes a portrait of Berlin as a young man.
All Movie Guide: Irving Berlin - Biography by Hal Erickson, filmography, Oscar nominations.
All Music Guide: Irving Berlin - Biography by William Ruhlmann, partial discography, list of some outstanding songs, bibliography. Extensive links to related lyricists, composers, and performers.
As Thousands Cheer: The Life of Irving Berlin - Bergreen's biographical book reviewed by Phillip D. Atteberry.
Berlin, Irving - Brief musical biography with comments on his successes from the Grove Concise Dictionary of Music entry at WQXR radio.
Celebrity Caricature in America: Irving Berlin - Caricature of Berlin by Miguel Covarrubias, with brief note on the art work and its subject.
Columbia Encyclopedia: Berlin, Irving - Brief biographical entry.
Meta Description: [ Berlin, Irving. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-05 ]
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Everything2: Irving Berlin - Biographical profile, a bit of trivia, and links to related topics.
God Bless America - Part of the exhibition American Treasures of the Library of Congress. The manuscripts, lyric sheets, and printer's proofs for this beloved song were a gift to the library from Irving Berlin's daughters. Photograph of manuscript score and proof, information on the song.
Meta Description: [ American Treasures of the Library of Congress: Memory ( God Bless America). America's unofficial national anthem was composed by an immigrant who left his home in Siberia for America when he was only five years old. ]
Hollywood.com: Irving Berlin - Vital statistics, brief biography.
Meta Description: [ Irving Berlin - movies, photos, video, biography, interviews, awards, news, filmography, credits ]
IMDb: Irving Berlin - Mini-biography, trivia, quotes. Filmography as a composer, writer, actor, and lyricist. Awards and nominations for his work in films.
Meta Description: [ Irving Berlin (I) - Filmography, Awards, Biography, Agent, Discussions, Photos, News Articles, Fan Sites ]
Irving Berlin in Hollywood - Ian Whitcomb's liner notes for a Rhino Records project.
Meta Description: [ Ian's liner notes for a Rhino Records project ]
Irving Berlin on Film - A look at the life and work of the legendary songwriter, by Alan Vanneman. [Bright Lights Film Journal]
Meta Description: [ Irving Berlin: A look at the life and work of the legendary songwriter. ]
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Irving Berlin: American Troubadour - Ann Sears reviews Edward Jablonski's 1999 biographical book on the prolific composer. [American Music]
Irving Berlin: Early Songs, 1907-1914 - Details on this three-volume edition, now out of print, of collected sheet music, edited by Charles Hamm. [Embellishments]
Irving Berlin: Full score and one key - Obituary, written by W.J. Weatherby. [The Guardian]
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Irving Berlin: In and Out of Tune - Article builds on Laurence Bergreen's As Thousands Cheer, a biography of Berlin. [Macleans]
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Irving Berlin: Music and Myth - Interview of Berlin's biographer Laurence Bergreen. [People Weekly]
Irving Berlin: Songs from the Melting Pot - Phillip D. Atteberry reviews Charles Hamm's 1997 book.
Irving Berlin: Songs from the Melting Pot: The Formative Years, 1907-1914 - First chapter of the book by Charles Hamm. Linked to a review in the New York Times.
Irving Berlin: The Nation's Great Composer of Patriotic Songs - Biographical profile. Excerpt from Jewish Heroes and Heroines of America, by Seymour Sy Brody.
Irving Berlin: This Is the Army - Detailed four-part article about the making of Berlin's patriotic all-soldier musical. Includes several photographs. Based on a lecture by Laurence Bergreen. [Prologue]
Meta Description: [ Prologue, Quarterly of the National Archives and Records Administration ]
Isaiah Berlin / Irving Berlin - Anecdote about Winston Churchill's wartime grilling of Irving Berlin, whom he mistook for political philosopher Isaiah Berlin. As told by Isaiah Berlin.
Jewish-American Hall of Fame: Irving Berlin (1888-1989) - Biographical profile.
Music by the Great Irving Berlin - Short biography, portrait. Description of six Berlin tunes, with scan of sheet music cover for each. Four MIDI files. Link to gallery with four more covers and three MIDI files. [ParlorSongs]
Meta Description: [ Our February, 2003 Issue about the music of Irving Berlin, one of America's greatest songwriters, Page 1, Musical Reminiscences of years gone by. An amazing collection of popular and classical sheet music from the 1800's to the 1940's. ]
Oh! How He Hated to Get Up in the Morning - On Sergeant Berlin's life as a draftee at Camp Upton, and the staging of Yip Yip Yaphank.
Rediscovering Irving Berlin - Book review considers three biographies of the often misunderstood songwriter. By Phillip D. Atteberry.
Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization: Berlin, Irving - Biography. Includes portrait, links.
Meta Description: [ Licensing the music of diverse catalogues, including those of Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Irving Berlin, Elvis Presley, Andrew Lloyd Webber, T. S. Eliot, Sheldon Harnick, Adam Guettel, Jimmy Roberts and Joe DiPietro. ]
Solid!: Irving Berlin - Biography, selected compositions, and filmography of the famous songwriter.
Meta Description: [ Famous songwriter ]
Spartacus: Irving Berlin - Brief biography, for kids. Includes portrait.
The Broadway Musical Home: Irving Berlin - List of shows, and of some musical numbers.
The Irving Berlin MIDI Song Tribute - Singalong pages with lyrics, MIDI files, and photos of sheet music covers for several of Berlin's songs in the public domain.
Meta Description: [ Irving Berlin MIDI Song Book Standards in sing along song format, with lyrics. ]
Todd's Irving Berlin Page - Lyrics to his most well-known songs sorted by title, with link to a complete Songography sorted by year, from 1907 to 1967.
Meta Description: [ Links to my personal collection of Irving Berlin lyrics. ]
What'll I Do - Guitar tablature for the Irving Berlin song.
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