PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Irving Berlin was born in Tyumen, Russia, on May 11, 1888, and immigrated to New York as a child. He became one of the most popular songwriters in the United States, with hits like "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "What’ll I Do" and "White Christmas." Berlin's film and Broadway musical work included Puttin’ on the Ritz, Easter Parade and Annie Get Your Gun. He died in New York City on September 22, 1989, at age 101.
As a teen, Berlin or Baline worked as a street singer, and by 1906 he had become a singing waiter in Chinatown. His first published tune was 1907's "Marie From Sunny Italy," with Nick Nicholson making the music. As the lyricist, Baline's name was accidentally misspelled as "I. Berlin" on the sheet music. He eventually decided to keep the name, becoming Irving Berlin.
Berlin went on to compose more than 1,500 songs and scored dozens of musicals and films. Among his best known big-screen works were Puttin' on the Ritz (1929), Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938), Easter Parade (1948) and three Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films, including Top Hat (1935), which featured "Cheek to Cheek," and Follow the Fleet (1936), which featured "Let's Face the Music and Dance." 1942's Holiday Inn showcased Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas," which became the highest-selling tune in history.
Berlin also composed "God Bless America," first sung by Kate Smith in 1938 and it became an "unofficial" national anthem of the United States. Berlin again created a hit with 1946's Annie Get Your Gun, inspired by the life of Annie Oakley. The musical starred Ethel Merman and featured a ton of popular songs like "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better," "I Got the Sun in the Morning" and "There's No Business Like Show Business."
