Ira Gershwin(1896-1983)
- Music Department
- Composer
- Actor
Legendary, prolific composer, songwriter and author, educated at
Townsend Harris Hall, City College of New York, and Columbia
University. He began his career as a contributor to newspaper columns,
and also worked for a touring carnival. His Broadway stage scores
include "Two Little Girls in Blue" (written under the pseudonym 'Arthur
Francis'), "Lady Be Good", "Tell Me More", "Tip-Toes", "Oh, Kay",
"Funny Face", "Rosalie", "Treasure Girl", "Show Girl", "Strike Up the
Band", "Girl Crazy", "Of Thee I Sing" (Pulitzer Prize, 1932), "Let 'Em
Eat Cake", "Life Begins at 8:40", "Ziegfeld Follies of 1936", "Lady in
the Dark", and "Park Avenue". Joining ASCAP in 1920, his chief musical
collaborators was his brother George Gershwin, and also included Lewis
Alter, Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Jerome Kern, Joseph Meyer, Sigmund
Romberg, Arthur Schwartz, Harry Warren, Richard Whiting, Kurt Weill,
Burton Lane, Vincent Youmans, Philip Charig, and E. Y. 'Yip' Harburg.
His popular-song compositions include "The Real American Folk Song",
"Oh, Me! Oh, My!", "Dolly", "I'll Build a Stairway to Paradise",
"Fascinating Rhythm", "So Am I", "Oh, Lady Be Good", "The Half of It
Dearie Blues", "Little Jazz Bird", "The Man I Love", "Kickin' the
Clouds Away", "Looking for a Boy", "These Charming People", "That
Certain Feeling", "Sweet and Low-Down", "Sunny Disposish", "Dear Little
Girl", "Maybe", "Clap Yo' Hands", "Do Do Do", "Someone to Watch Over
Me", "Strike Up the Band", "Let's Kiss and Make Up", "Funny Face", "'S
Wonderful", "My One and Only", "He Loves and She Loves", "The Babbitt
and the Bromide", "How Long Has This Been Going On?", "The One I'm
Looking For", "I've Got a Crush on You", "Oh So Nice", "Where's the
Boy, Here's the Girl", "Liza", "Soon", "Bidin' My Time", "Could You Use
Me?", "Embraceable You", "Sam and Delilah", "I Got Rhythm", "But Not
for Me", "Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!", "I Am Only Human After All",
"Cheerful Little Earful", "Blah-Blah-Blah", "Wintergreen for
President", "Love Is Sweeping the Country", "Of Thee I Sing (Baby)",
"Who Cares?", "Hello, Good Morning", "Lorelei", "Isn't It a Pity?", "My
Cousin in Milwaukee", "Mine", "You're a Builder-Upper", "Fun to be
Fooled", "What Can You Say in a Love Song?", "Let's Take a Walk Around
the Block", "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'", "Bess, You Is My Woman Now", "It
Ain't Necessarily So", "I Loves You, Porgy", "There's a Boat dat's
Leavin' Soon for New York", "Island in the West Indies", "I Can't Get
Started", "That Moment of Moments", "By Strauss", "Beginner's Luck",
"Let's Call the Whole Thing Off", "Shall We Dance", "They All Laughed",
"They Can't Take That Away from Me", "A Foggy Day", "Nice Work if You
Can Get It", "I Was Doing All Right", "Love Is Here to Stay", "Love
Walked In", "Spring Again", "One Life to Live" and many more.
