10 Interesting George Gershwin Facts

George Gershwin facts are the information for any people who really want to know better about this person. You may recognize that this man has become one of most important composers in the world. Well, learning the facts can become you basic effort to understand better about him.

George Gershwin Facts 1: childhood

If it is about facts related to George Gershwin, you need to recognize about his childhood. He was born in 1898 in Brooklyn actually. He was the second child of 4 children. He came from a close-knit immigrant family.

George Gershwin Facts 2: early career

He began his involvement into musical career as a song-plugger. It was on Tin Pan Alley. Later, he started to write his own pieces. His first published song was “When You Want ‘Em, You Can’t Get ‘Em”. Yet, it only provided him with 5 dollars.

George Gershwin Facts

George Gershwin Facts 3:  Irving Ceaser

After his struggle with first song, he met a young lyricist. His name is Irving Ceaser. They both composed some songs including the Swanee. The song sold more than a million of copies actually. Perhaps this can be called as his success.

George Gershwin Facts 4: Arthur L.Jackson

He also collaborated with Arthur L.Jackson in the same year of “Swanee”. Besides Arthur, he also gained collaboration from Buddy De Sylva. They together complete “La, La Lucille” which is their Broadway musical. Later in the next 4 years, he wrote more than 45 songs.

George Gershwin Musician

George Gershwin Facts 5: Ira Gershwin

He also collaborated with his brother in 1924. She was lyricist named Ira Gershwin. The collaboration was on a musical comedy such as “Lady Be Good”. In fact, it was the beginning of partnership for the rest of the life of this composer.

George Gershwin Facts 6: jazz influence

He got his Jazz influence when he was 25 years old. It was “Rhapsody in Blue. This was performed in Aeolian Hall in New York. The audience are Leopold Stokowski, Fritz Kreisler, and many others including Igor Stravinsky.

George Gershwin Piano

George Gershwin Facts 7: early thirties

He had the experiments with some Broadway musical ideas in the age of thirties actually. Some of them are “Let’Em Eat Cake, “Strike Up The Band”, and also Of Thee I Sing”. Those songs are closely related to social issues within the time.

George Gershwin Facts 8:  folk opera

He once presented folk opera in 1935. It was “Porgy and Bess” in Boston. Yet, it only gained moderate success.

George Gershwin Pic

George Gershwin Facts 9: Hollywood

Later in 1937, the brothers decided to go to Hollywood. They teamed up with Fred Astaire. They had made musical film there such as “Shall We Dance”.

George Gershwin Facts 10: return to New York

He later returned to New York after becoming ill when he was working on a film.

George Gershwin

There are more facts about George Gershwin that you can get. You only need to gain better sources of information from different media.