Irving Berlin

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Lore & Background

Irving Berlin was born Israel Isidore Beilin on May 11, 1888, in the Russian Empire to a Jewish family. Although his family came from the shtetl of Tolochin, Berlin later learned that he was probably born in Tyumen, Siberia, where his father, an itinerant cantor, had taken his family. He arrived in the United States at age five, his family leaving Russia to escape pogroms. He published his first song, 'Marie from Sunny Italy', in 1907, receiving 33 cents for the publishing rights. For much of his career, Berlin could not read sheet music, and was such a limited piano player that he could only play in the key of F-sharp; he used his custom piano equipped with a transposing lever when he needed to play in keys other than F-sharp. He was known for writing music and lyrics in the American vernacular: uncomplicated, simple and direct, with his stated aim being to 'reach the heart of the average American', whom he saw as the 'real soul of the country'. After his father died when Berlin was thirteen, he left school and began helping to support his family as a newspaper boy. He later worked as a singing waiter in cafes and restaurants, and taught himself to play the piano after hours. His first lyric, written with a café pianist, earned him a royalty of thirty-seven cents. He became known as the composer of numerous international hits, starting with 1911's 'Alexander's Ragtime Band'. His songs include 'God Bless America', 'Blue Skies', 'Easter Parade', 'Puttin' on the Ritz', 'Cheek to Cheek', 'White Christmas', 'Happy Holiday', 'Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)', and 'There's No Business Like Show Business'. His Broadway musical 'This Is the Army' (1942) was adapted into the 1943 film of the same name.

Reader's Guide

Irving Berlin's significance lies in his vast and enduring contribution to American popular music. His songs have reached the top of the US charts 25 times and have been extensively re-recorded by numerous singers. He received an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Gerald R. Ford in 1977. Broadcast journalist Walter Cronkite stated he 'helped write the story of this country, capturing the best of who we are and the dreams that shape our lives.' Composer Douglas Moore set Berlin apart from all other contemporary songwriters, and includes him instead with Stephen Foster, Walt Whitman, and Carl Sandburg, as a 'great American minstrel'—someone who has 'caught and immortalized in his songs what we say, what we think about, and what we believe.' Composer George Gershwin called him 'the greatest songwriter that has ever lived', and composer Jerome Kern concluded that 'Irving Berlin has no place in American music—he is American music.' Berlin died in 1989 at the age of 101.

Did You Know?

• Berlin could not read sheet music for much of his career and could only play the piano in the key of F-sharp, using a custom piano with a transposing lever for other keys.
• He published his first song, 'Marie from Sunny Italy', in 1907 and received only 33 cents for the publishing rights.
• Berlin's father, an itinerant cantor, died when Berlin was thirteen years old.
• He wrote an estimated 1,500 songs during his 60-year career, including scores for 20 original Broadway shows and 15 original Hollywood films.
• Composer Jerome Kern said, 'Irving Berlin has no place in American music—he is American music.'