Ron Graves' Blog

Irving Berlin...Inspirational Person for Dec

Irving Berlin was born a Russian Jew in 1888. His family emigrated to the U.S. when he was three-years- old. He had a difficult childhood. His father died when Irving was only eight-years-old and he was forced to survive by selling newspapers and doing odd jobs. He continually worked and his first opportunity came as a young singing waiter in Chinatown when he was asked to compose a song. He complied the song and earned $.37 (thirty-seven cents) for his efforts; most importantly he earned professional composer status.

He achieved moderate success writing sheet music until he wrote "Alexander's Ragtime Band" in 1911, launching his career as one of Tin Pan Alley's (an area of New York known for publishing and writing songs) rising stars.

Although his life was moving along, tragedy struck Irving once more. While honeymooning in Cuba in 1911, his first wife, singer Dorothy Goetz, contactred pneumonia and typhoid fever and passed away five months later.

Irving, used to hardship, continued to press on, eventually remarried, and became one of music's all-time most profilic composers During his phenomenal career, he wrote over 3,000 songs., many, such as "GOD BLESS AMERICA" and "WHITE CHRISTMAS" - with over 30 million in sales - became American classics. In addition, he composed 17 film and 21 Broadway scores. Irving Berlin was also honored with seven Oscar nominations and in 1968 was presented the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.