| Berlin,Irving |
| Dates: 1888-1989 |
| Born in: Temun, Russia |
| Major Events |
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Birth name, Israel Baline
1892:Came to Lower East Side of Manhattan
At age fourteen became singing waiter at various Lower East Side saloons
1908: wrote first song, Dorando with Ted Snyder
1911: first huge hit, Alexander's Ragtime Band
1914: first full score for Broadway: Watch Your Step
1926; married Ellin Mackay, heiress to the Comstock silver fortune, over the objections of her father
Continued to write popular songs, movie scores and musicals until the mid-1960s |
| Major Publications |
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| Major songs
1910:Alexander's Ragtime Band
1914:I Want to Go Back to Michigan
1918:Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning
1921:All By Myself
1924:What'll I Do?
1925:Always
1927:Blue Skies
1929:Puttin' on the Ritz
1932:How Deep is the Ocean
1933:Easter Parade
1935:Top Hat
1935:Cheek to Cheek
1938:God Bless America
1942:White Christmas
1946:There's No Business Like Show Business |
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Related link:
Berlin became, for much of the twentieth century, the spokeperson in popular song for Americanization. The irony, of course, was that he was a Jewish immigrant from Russia, the son of a part-time cantor, and subject to anti-semitic attacks for much of his early career. For an example, see this excerpt from Henry Ford's The Dearborn Independent
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