George and Ira Gershwin

By Hannah Collins, Matt Peebles, and Courtney Goodman

Early Life

George• Born- September 26,

1898 in Brooklyn, New York

• Son of Russian Jewish immigrants

• Dropped out of school at age 15 to pursue piano

Ira• Born- December 6,

1896 in Brooklyn, New York

• Went to Townsend Harris High School

• Worked as a cashier in the Turkish baths

Life in Theatre

• George started playing in Tin Pan Alley

• George composed music and worked as a rehearsal pianist for Broadway singers

• Ira frequented the local Yiddish theaters

• 1921, Ira became involved in theatre

• George was the composer and Ira was the lyricist

• George and Ira wrote their first Broadway show together, Lady Be Good

Famous Contributions

• Porgy and Bess• “Rhapsody in Blue”• Let’s Call the Whole

Thing off• Strike Up the Band• Someone to Watch

Over Me• “The Real American

Folk Song”

Impact• Have an award

named after them- The George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award

• Wrote over 12 Broadway shows

• Started the evolution of Jazz music (Rhapsody in Blue)

Influences

George• Teachers- Henry

Cowell, Wallingford Riegger, Edward Kilenye, Joseph Shillinger

• Charles Hambitzer was his piano teacher

Ira• Yip Harburg was his

friend in school who also went on to be a musician

• Signed by Alex Aarons

Awards• 1938- Nominated for an Oscar for Best

Music/Original Song for “They Can’t Take that Away From Me”

• 1998- Won a star on the Walk of Fame• 1932- Ira won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama for “Of

Thee I Sing”• Nominated for Academy Awards for best

Original Song– “They Can’t Take that Away From Me”(1937)– “Long Ago and Far Away”(1944)– “The Man That Got Away”(1954)

Interesting Facts• Both involved in school

newspapers and magazines

• Winners of the George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Achievement Award- Ray Charles, Julie Andrews, James Taylor, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, MC Hammer

Works CitedGeorge & Ira Gershwin." Nonesuch Records Journal RSS. N.p., n.d.

Web. 10 Sept. 2013.

George Gershwin Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.

 The Gershwin LegacyLibrary Celebrates Contributions of George and

Ira." The Gershwin Legacy (September 1998). N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013.

 Home | Gershwin Music." Home | Gershwin

Music. Gershwin Enterprises, n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2013. Ira Gershwin Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web.

10 Sept. 2013.