1. Irving Berlin 1888- 1989

2. Irving Berlin’s Life  Born on May 11, 1888 in Mogilev, which is now the country of Belarus  Birth name was Israel Beilin.  His family immigrated to the US in 1893.  Berlin was 13 when his father died.  Irving had to work to survive.  Worked as a singing waiter at Pelham's Cafe in Chinatown

3. Irving Berlin’s Life  Berlin was asked by the restaurant owner to write an original song for the cafe because a rival tavern had had their own song published.  The song, “Marie from Sunny Italy,” was published when Berlin was 19 years old and it earned him 37 cents.  It gave him a new career and a new name: Israel Beilin was misprinted as "I. Berlin" on the sheet music.

4. Irving Berlin’s Life  Wrote songs for Broadway & Hollywood  Wrote “White Christmas,” “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “God Bless America,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Blue Skies”  Died on Sept. 22, 1989 at the age of 101

5. “God Bless America”  Berlin originally wrote the song in 1918 while serving in the U.S. Army but decided that it did not fit in a revue called Yip Tip Yaphank, so he set it aside.  In 1938, with the rise of Hitler, Berlin, who was Jewish, and a first-generation European immigrant, felt it was time to revive it as a "peace song“  It was introduced on an Armistice Day broadcast in 1938 sung by Kate Smith, on her radio show.

6. Armistice Day  The anniversary of the symbolic end of World War I on Nov 11, 1918.  The cease fire took effect at 11 am - the “11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month."  Now called Veteran’s Day

7. “Blue Skies”   Published in 1927   Became a #1 hit   That same year it became one of the first songs to be featured in a “talkie," when Al Jolson performed it in The Jazz Singer.

8. “There’s No Business Like Show Business”   Introduced in the musical “Annie Get Your Gun” (about Annie Oakley)   The song is sung by members of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in an attempt to persuade Annie Oakley to join the Wild West Show.

9. Links to Berlin’s Music   “White Christmas”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yg5g_Xl-uU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Yg5g_Xl-uU   “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO23WBji_Z0&feature=related https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO23WBji_Z0&feature=related   “Puttin’ on the Ritz”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKPMk5_gStk   “God Bless America”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSarhZpnMs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LSarhZpnMs   “There’s No Business Like Show Business”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJvwpufbLyM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJvwpufbLyM   “Blue Skies”   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB-xqDZbEVQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB-xqDZbEVQ