Happy 120th Birthday to American Songwriter - Irving Berlin

Irving Berlin was born in Russia on May 11, 1888 as Israel Isidore Beilin 120 years ago today. He immigrated with his family in 1893, and it is thought the surname was mistakenly spelled Berlin at Ellis Island. They settled in New York City where his father, Moses Beilen, a former cantor, found work as an inspector of kosher meat

Irving was 15 years old when his father died and he had to take over the job of breadwinner for the family. At first he sold newspapers on street corners, but went on to become a street performer singing for tips. Later when he was working as a singing waiter at the Pelham Café in China town, he was asked to write a song for the restaurant because a rival café had one. He came up with something called "Marie From Sunny Italy", but he only wrote the lyrics since he didn't play an instrument. The café pianist, Nick Nicholson wrote the music.

Thereafter, he began to compose the music as well as the lyrics, but, although he taught himself to play the piano, throughout his career he employed collaborators, namely Chic Hess, Arthur Johnston, and Helmy Kresa, to actually write his tunes down on paper. None of them ever received credit.

He wrote a series of forgettable songs such as "Sadie Salome Go Home" and "Oh How That German Could Love", but it wasn't until he composed the all-time hit, "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1911 that he became a star. The song was a march, but it revived an interest in the ragtime music of Scott Joplin, and the song itself was revived over and over as a hit. Among the performers who brought the song back to a hit rating were Bessie Smith in 1927, Louis Armstrong in 1937, Johnny Mercer in 1945, Bing Crosby and Connie Boswell in as well as Bing Crosby and Al Jolson in 1947. Nellie Lutchner did it in 1948 as a hit rhythm and blues number, and Ray Charles brought it back again with his big band sound in 1959. It was revived as a hit over 12 times in 50 years.

During his career, Irving Berlin wrote over 3000 Songs. He became the dean of song writing in America. He served in the U.S. Army in Europe in World War I, and came home and wrote "Yip Yip Yahank', a comedic patriotic tribute to the Army. He also played a part in it singing "Oh How I Hate To Get Up In the Morning." He also wrote the music for dancers Irene and Vernon Castle in "Watch Your Step."

Berlin built his own theater, "The Music Box" that is still in use today. Here he produced "Annie Get Your Gun" judged his most successful show because of the number of hit songs in it. Other successful shows written by Berlin were "Blue Skies", "Top Hat", "On the Avenue", "Easter Parade", "In the Army", "Call Me Madam", "White Christmas", and "Holiday Inn" most of them later produced also as movies.

As for his personal life, Irving Berlin was married twice. The first time was to Dorothy Goetz, sister of another successful songwriter. Sadly she died of pneumonia and typhoid only five months after they were married in 1912. It was twelve years before he married again, this time to Ellen MacKay, the Catholic heiress to the owner of a the fortune from the famous silver mine, The Comstock Lode. They married in 1926 against the wishes of her father who disinherited her after which they were snubbed by society. Berlin made it up to her by assigning the income of his song "Always" which gave her a large and reliable income all the rest of her life.

Irving and Ellen had four children; three daughters and a son, Irving Berlin Jr. who died in infancy on Christmas Day.

With the advent of Rock and Roll music, which he hated, Berlin's music did not go over well. He gave up songwriting in 1962 and became a recluse. He did attend the centennial celebration for the Statue of Liberty in 1986, but not the party held in his honor on his 100^th birthday. He died of a heart attack in 1989 at 101 years old, and is buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, NY. He left us all much richer for the sounds he created that are the very epitome of the first really American popular music.