Irving Berlin | Composers

Irving Berlin (pseudonym), real name Israel Isidore Beilin was one of the most successful songwriters. He wrote more than 1000 songs.

Born in 1888 in the Russian Empire, his family and their seven children emigrated to the USA in 1891 as a result of the anti-Semitic pogroms. After the early death of the father, the children had to earn their own living. Dropped out of school, Irving earned his first living as a newspaper boy and messenger boy. At 14 he ran away from home and worked as a "singing waiter" in a New York café. Berlin taught herself to play the piano a little. He only played by ear and could not read music. He achieved world fame with the song Alexander's Ragtime Band. The former street boy was well on his way to becoming a well-known composer, even though he could neither read music nor play the piano properly. He composed his melodies, others wrote down the notes for him. The orchestration was then done by professional arrangers.

Irving Berlin died on September 22, 1989 at the age of 101 from complications of a heart attack.