Composer of the Month: Irving Berlin
Now that December is here, it’s officially time for Christmas music! No matter your preferred brand of Christmas music, we’re pretty sure you’ll hear our December composer of the month. Whether you enjoy a poppy Christmas station, Christmas classics, or traditional English carols, simply spin the dial and one of his songs is bound to resound! Of course, his catalog stretches quite a bit beyond “tunes appropriate for December.” Ladies and gentleman, may we present Irving Berlin.
Irving Berlin’s music supplied the American catalog with a wealth of standards, pop songs, anthems, show tunes, and yes, Christmas carols. We daresay that American music wouldn’t be what it is today without the contributions of the King from Tin Pan Alley! From Willie Nelson to Diana Krall and from Frank Sinatra to Nat King Cole, it seems like every noteworthy musician in a wide span of genres has put his or her own spin on a classic Berlin tune. You may even have your own favorite version. Let’s find out more about this treasured composer, shall we?
Where You’ve Heard Irving Berlin’s Music
If you’ve ever seen Titanic, Home Alone, The Jazz Singer, or Downton Abbey, you’ve heard the music of Irving Berlin. You’re probably heard his music if you haven’t seen those films! Check out this huge variety of Irving Berlin’s songs and see how many you’ve heard before.
There’s No Business Like Show Business
Interesting Facts About Irving Berlin
Could only play the piano in the key of F#
Irving Berlin co-founded ASCAP, an imperative organization for creators of music that thrives to this day
Established the God Bless America Fund, which donates all revenue from Berlin’s patriotic songs to the Boys Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts
Nominated for 9 Oscars
Received the Medal of Merit from President Harry Truman (1945)
Received a Congressional Gold Medal from President Dwight Eisenhower (1954)
Commemorated on U.S. stamp (2002)
Lived until the age of 101!
A Closer Look
Israel Isidore Beillin was born in Mohilev, Russia, on May 11, 1888. The Balines moved to the Lower East Side of Manhattan to escape from the anti-semitism that was running rampant in their native Russia at the time. The son of a cantor, “Izzy” took an interest in music from an early age. When he was 13 years old, his father died from chronic bronchitis. Soon after Izzy dropped out of school, moved out of the house, and became a street musician and, later, a singing waiter in Chinatown. Izzy taught himself to play the piano in the hours following his shifts at the restaurant, Musical performance provided his only income.
It wasn’t long before a staff member at a music publishing company heard Izzy’s music and offered him a job at the firm. Izzy surrounded himself with other songwriters and musicians and eventually became a staff lyricist with the Ted Snyder company. By the time Izzy was 19, he published his first composition under the name I. Berlin, and he legally changed his name to Irving Berlin in 1911. This was the same year that he wrote “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” a song that brought him huge success and that many consider the impetus for launching a national dance craze. The song essentially solidified Berlin’s status as a composer--and one who wrote both his own lyrics and music (Berlin and Cole Porter are the only two out of the ‘great American five’ who did both).
Over the years, Berlin returned to Tin Pan Allen, penned scores for numerous films and Broadway shows--including Annie Get Your Gun--and wrote songs that became standards for the American songbook. He maintained control of his own compositions through the Irving Berlin Music Corporation, an organization that granted full control of copyrights to the originating musician.
Irving Berlin lived to be over 100 years old and in addition to his family, Berlin left behind a legacy of American music and more than 1,000 songs to his name.
Saul Bornstein, the manager of Berlin’s publishing company, claims that Berlin attributed his great success to his work ethic. Berlin, a self-taught musician, claimed that he “did not believe in inspiration” and that his “most successful compositions were the result of hard work.” Did Irving Berlin have workaholic tendencies? Certainly--he’d write a complete song daily, turning to his work after dinner and staying with it until the wee hours of the morning.
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