Ira Gershwin facts for kids

Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershowitz, December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist. A lyricist is someone who writes the words for songs. Ira worked with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin. Together, they created many of the most famous songs of the 20th century.

Ira and George wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows. These shows featured popular songs like "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love", and "Someone to Watch Over Me". Ira also helped write the story and words (called the libretto) for George's famous opera Porgy and Bess.

Even though the Gershwin brothers were very successful together, Ira's important role was sometimes overlooked. But he continued writing hit songs even after George's early death. He worked with other famous composers like Jerome Kern, Kurt Weill, Harry Warren, and Harold Arlen. His book Lyrics on Several Occasions (1959) is a great resource for learning about songwriting.

Ira Gershwin's Early Life and Career

Ira Gershwin was born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 6, 1896. He was the oldest of four children. His parents, Morris and Rose Gershovitz, were Russian Jews who came to the United States in 1891. Ira's siblings were George, Arthur, and Frances. The family name was later changed to "Gershwin".

When he was young, Ira was shy and loved to read. He also wrote for school newspapers and magazines. He graduated from Townsend Harris High School in 1914. There, he met Yip Harburg, who also became a famous lyricist. They remained friends for life. Ira later attended the City College of New York but did not finish.

The Gershwin brothers grew up near the Yiddish Theater District in New York City. They often went to the local Yiddish theaters.

Starting in the Music Business

While George Gershwin started writing music and promoting songs in Tin Pan Alley (a famous area for music publishers) at age 18, Ira worked as a cashier. He didn't get into the music business until 1921. He was hired to write songs for a show called Two Little Girls in Blue. To avoid using his brother George's growing fame, Ira used the name "Arthur Francis". His lyrics were well-liked, and this show helped him start his career.

Later that same year, Ira and George worked together for the first time. They wrote music for a show called A Dangerous Maid.

Working with His Brother George

In 1924, Ira and George teamed up for their first big Broadway hit, Lady, Be Good. Their combined talents became very important in American musical theater. Together, they wrote music for more than 12 stage shows and four movies.

Some of their most famous songs include "The Man I Love", "Fascinating Rhythm", "Someone to Watch Over Me", "I Got Rhythm", and "They Can't Take That Away from Me". Their partnership lasted until George's sudden death in 1937 from a brain tumor. After George passed away, Ira stopped writing for almost three years.

Ira's Later Career

After his break, Ira Gershwin started working with other talented composers. He wrote lyrics for films like Cover Girl with Jerome Kern. He also worked on Lady in the Dark with Kurt Weill and A Star Is Born with Harold Arlen. Over the next 14 years, Ira wrote lyrics for many movies and some Broadway shows.

His last Broadway show was Park Avenue in 1946. He felt he deserved a long rest after that. In 1947, he wrote new lyrics for 11 songs that George had composed but never used. These were featured in the film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim. His final major work is often considered to be for the 1954 Judy Garland film A Star Is Born.

Later in his life, American singer and historian Michael Feinstein worked for Ira Gershwin. Feinstein helped organize Ira's old papers and found some lost musical pieces. He even performed some of these newly found songs.

Ira Gershwin loved listening to loud music, even though his wife didn't. Once, he received one of the first Sony Walkman cassette players. He loved it so much that he bought stock in Sony!

Awards and Special Recognition

Ira Gershwin's songs were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song three times. These songs were "They Can't Take That Away From Me" (1937), "Long Ago (And Far Away)" (1944), and "The Man That Got Away" (1954). However, none of them won the award.

In 1932, Ira Gershwin won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for the musical Of Thee I Sing. He shared this award with George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind.

In 1988, the UCLA created The George and Ira Gershwin Lifetime Musical Achievement Award. This award honors the brothers' contributions to music. It also recognizes their gift of the fight song "Strike Up the Band for UCLA" to the university. Many famous artists have received this award, including Angela Lansbury, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, and Julie Andrews.

Ira Gershwin's Legacy

Ira Gershwin loved to listen to all the sounds around him. He paid close attention to the small details of everyday life. He once wrote in his diary about the sounds he heard in one day: "An elevator's purr, telephone's ring, telephone's buzz, a baby's moans, a shout of delight, a screech from a 'flat wheel', hoarse honks, a hoarse voice, a tinkle, a match scratch on sandpaper, a deep resounding boom of dynamiting in the impending subway, iron hooks on the gutter."

In 1987, Ira's wife, Leonore, started the Ira Gershwin Literacy Center. This center helps people learn English. It is located at University Settlement in New York City, where Ira and George spent time after school when they were kids.

Many of Ira Gershwin's writings and other materials are kept in important collections. These include the George and Ira Gershwin Collection at the Library of Congress and the Edward Jablonski and Lawrence D. Stewart Gershwin Collection at the University of Texas at Austin.

In 2007, the United States Library of Congress named its Prize for Popular Song after Ira and George. This award is given each year to a composer or performer. It recognizes their lifelong contributions to American popular music, showing how much the Gershwins influenced the world's culture.

Personal Life

Ira Gershwin married Leonore Strunsky in 1926. He passed away from heart disease in Beverly Hills, California, on August 17, 1983, at the age of 86. He is buried at Westchester Hills Cemetery in New York. Leonore died in 1991.

Notable Songs

• "But Not for Me"
• "Embraceable You"
• "How Long Has This Been Going On?"
• "I Can't Get Started"
• "I Got Rhythm"
• "I've Got a Crush on You"
• "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off"
• "Love Is Here To Stay"
• "The Man I Love"
• "The Man That Got Away"
• "My Ship" (music by Kurt Weill)
• "Nice Work If You Can Get It"
• "'S Wonderful"
• "Someone to Watch Over Me"
• "Strike Up the Band"
• "They Can't Take That Away from Me"
• "They All Laughed"

See also

In Spanish: Ira Gershwin para niños