Irving Berlin - Bronx, NY - Grave of a Famous Person on Waymarking.com

There’s no business like show business… And if anyone ought to know that, it’s Irving Berlin who wrote the song.

In 1893, five-year-old Israel Beilin immigrated to America from Imperial Russia with his family. His father, a Jewish cantor, left Russia, like thousands of others, to escape persecution. The family lived in relative poverty on New York’s lower east side and changed their name to Berlin. After his father’s untimely death, thirteen-year-old Irving took on odd jobs to help his family make ends meet.

Being a bit of a chip off the ol’ block, Irving Berlin soon realized his singing ability could help land him jobs as an entertainer. Moreover, he made contacts which eventually led to a job as a lyricist in New York’s famous ‘Tin Pan Alley.’ His first big hit was “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” which became popular worldwide and made Berlin into a bit of a celebrity.

Irving Berlin would go on to have a 60-year career in which he wrote an estimated 1500 songs and the scores for 20 Broadway shows and 15 films. Some of his most famous titles were “Blue Skies,” “Easter Parade,” “Puttin' on the Ritz,” “White Christmas” and the venerable “God Bless America.”

Berlin received a Tony Award, a Grammy and an Academy Award. In fact, he was the only presenter in the history of the Academy Awards to open the envelope and find his own name as the winner! So awkward was this situation that the Academy altered its protocol to make sure that didn’t happen again. He was also presented with a Congressional Gold Medal and a Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Irving Berlin died in his sleep at his New York City home on September 22, 1989, at the ripe old age of 101. He is laid to rest in his family’s plot at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx.
(Source: wikipedia.org)

Description: See Long Description above. Date of birth: 05/11/1888 Date of death: 09/22/1989 Area of notoriety: Entertainment Marker Type: Horizontal Marker Setting: Outdoor Visiting Hours/Restrictions: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Fee required?: No Web site: [Web Link]

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