George Gershwin Biography

George Gershwin (born Jacob Gershowitz) was born in New York in 1898. During his childhood, he did not take any music lessons, and rather spent most of his time playing sports. When George was in his ten years old, his parents bought a piano for George's brother, Ira, who would someday be George's partner. Although Ira was considered the serious musician at the time, George took an immediate liking to the piano, and began playing popular songs by ear. Charles Hambitzer, a neighbor, was so impressed by George's playing that he began giving him free lessons.

By a young age, George had started his career, although it wasn't much. He played popular songs in Tin Pan Alley, earning a mere 15 dollars a week. In 1918, George completed his first composing project for Broadway. The show was entitled La La Lucille. It came out in 1919 and closed a few short months later. Although this did not bring George Gershwin much recognition, he played a song he had written years before for Al Jolson in 1920, and Jolson included it in his next musical, Sinbad. The song sold more than two million copies.

In the coming years, George discovered his brother Ira, who had become a quality lyricist, and they began working together. In the years 1930 to 1937, the two worked on Hollywood movies, George composing and Ira writing lyrics. For one final hurrah, in 1935, George moved back to New York to produce his opera, Porgy and Bess. Although it was not well-received at the time, it has come to be regarded as one of the most brilliant Broadway pieces ever created.

Two years later, George discovered that he had a brain tumor, and he died soon after. However, His music will never be forgotten. After all, George Gershwin is the man who wrote "rhythm changes," one of the most famous chord progressions in jazz, songs like "Embraceable You," and "Someone to Watch Over Me," and symphonic work including "Rhapsody In Blue."

Ira Gershwin