1. George Gershwin By: Samir Caceres

2. Information George Gershwin was born on September 26, 1898. He was born in Brooklyn, New York. Gershwin was named Jacob Gershowitz when he was born, but later on he changed his name when he became famous.

3. Information George Gershwin was the second of four children. He first displayed his interest in music at the age of ten, when he went to his friend Maxie Rosenzweig’s violin recital.

4. Information Gershwin tried many piano teachers for two years, and then was introduced to Charles Hambitzer by Jack Miller, the pianist in the Beethoven Symphony Orchestra. Until Hambitzer's death in 1918, he was one of Gershwin's mentor.

5. Information At the age of fifteen, George left school and found his first job as a performer, "song plugger" for Jerome H. Remick and Company, a publishing firm on New York City's Tin Pan Alley, where he earned 15 dollars a week

6. Information George Gershwin first published song was called "When You Want 'Em You Can't Get 'Em, When You've Got 'Em, You Don't Want 'Em.“ He published this song at the age of 17 in 1916, it earned him 5 dollars.

7. Information Gershwin first big national hit was “Swanne” with the words by Irving Caesar. Gershwin started working for Aeolian Company and Standard Music Rolls in New York, recording and arranging. He produced dozens, even hundreds, of rolls under his own and assumed names.

8. Information In 1924, Gershwin composed his first major classical work, Rhapsody in Blue for orchestra and piano. It was orchestrated by Ferde Grofe and premiered by Paul Whiteman's concert band in New York. It proved to be his most popular work.

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10. Death Early in 1937, Gershwin began to complain of blinding headaches and a recurring impression that he was smelling burned rubber. Doctors discovered he had developed a type of cystic malignant brain tumor. He died on July 11, 1937 at the age of 38 at Cedars of Lebanon Hospital following surgery for the tumor