• George Gershwin was an American composer born of Russian immigrant parents. With his brother Ira Gershwin, he wrote the scores for several classic recordings, musical plays and films. He was also a prolific composer of popular songs, most of which have become jazz standards and are considered to be part of the American popular song canon. Among his most well-known compositions are Rhapsody in Blue for orchestra and piano, the musical Funny Face and songs for the Fred Astaire vehicles Shall We Dance and A Damsel in Distress.

  Gershwin never married, but was a long time companion of composer Kay Swift. After his death, he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for "Distinguished and Enduring Contributions to American music".

  His songs have been recorded by hundreds of artists and musicians including Louis Armstrong, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Nina Simone and Bing Crosby among countless others.

• Fast Facts

  1. Born: September 26, 1898
  2. Birth Place: Brooklyn, New York
  3. Real Name: Jacob Gershowitz
  4. Died: July 11, 1937 following brain surgery
  5. 1938: Oscar Nominee for the song "Shall We Dance"
  6. 2005: Declared by The Guardian to be the "richest composer of all time"
  7. 2006: Inducted into Long Island Music Hall of Fame

• Related Mahalo Pages

  Louis Armstrong | Ray Charles | Ella Fitzgerald | Lena Horne | Sarah Vaughan | Duke Ellington | Scott Joplin | Cole Porter | Leonard Bernstein | Benny Goodman | Jerry Herman | Rhapsody In Blue

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