20th century and todayGeorge Gershwin
George Gershwin was born in New York.
George Gershwin’s life
The big moments of this life, and what was happening in the world at the same time.
A life at a glance
- 1898👶 Birth
Born in Brooklyn on 26 September, son of Russian immigrants
- 1903🌍 Meanwhile
First powered aeroplane flight (Wright brothers)
- 1910❤️ Private lifeage 12
His parents buy a piano for his brother Ira… but George takes it over
- 1914🎩 Careerage 16
Leaves school at 15 to plug songs on Tin Pan Alley
- 1914🌍 Meanwhile
The First World War begins
- 1918🌍 Meanwhile
End of the First World War
- 1919🎼 Workage 21
Swanee, sung by Al Jolson — a huge hit
- 1924🎼 Workage 26
Lady, Be Good!, first musical with his brother Ira
- 1924🎼 Workage 26
Rhapsody in Blue, with Paul Whiteman’s orchestra
- 1927🌍 Meanwhile
First talking picture (The Jazz Singer)
- 1928🧳 Journeyage 30
Trip to Paris: meets Ravel; An American in Paris
- 1929🏛️ Landmarkage 31
Wall Street Crash
- 1932🎩 Careerage 34
Of Thee I Sing: the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize
- 1937🕯️ Deathage 39
Dies in Los Angeles on 11 July, aged 38
Listen to the music
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Excerpts of up to 90 seconds, freely licensed recordings from Wikimedia Commons.
Once upon a time…
George Gershwin was born in New York. His parents bought a piano for his big brother Ira, but George was the one who started playing… and he played wonderfully!
At fifteen he left school to play the piano all day in a sheet-music shop. There he discovered jazz and blues. At twenty-one his song Swanee became a huge hit!
He wanted to mix jazz and classical music. His Rhapsody in Blue begins with a clarinet sliding upwards like a laugh. In An American in Paris you can even hear real taxi horns!
He also wrote the opera Porgy and Bess, with the famous lullaby Summertime. He died very young, at thirty-eight.
George Gershwin’s instruments
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