(1888-1989)

Irving Berlin once said that, "a patriotic song is an
emotion
and you must not embarrass an audience with it, or they will hate your
guts."
This philosophy made him one of America's most outstanding writers of
patriotic
songs from World War I through World War II.

Berlin was born Israel Baline in Eastern Russia on
May 11,
1888. He was one of eight children born to Leah and Moses Baline. His
father was
a shochet (one who kills kosher animals as prescribed by Jewish
religious
laws) who was also the cantor in the synagogue. His family moved to New
York in
1893 to escape the pogroms in Russia. At the age of eight, he took to
the
streets of the Lower East Side of New York City to help support his
mother and
family after his father had died. In the early 1900s he worked as a
singing
waiter in many restaurants and started writing songs. His first
published hit
was "Marie From Sunny Italy." His successes continued through two years.

Berlin was married for only a year to Dorothy Goetz,
who died
from typhoid contracted while on their honeymoon in Cuba in 1913. He
married
Ellin Mackay in 1926. She was the daughter of Clarence Mckay, president
of
Postal Telegraph Company, a leading Catholic layman who opposed the
wedding. The
Berlins had three daughters.

In World War I, he wrote the musical Yip, Yip,
Yaphank,
which was produced by the men of Camp Upton. In this musical, the big
hit song
was "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," which reflected Berlin's
aversion
to rising early. This musical raised more than $150,000 to build a
service
center at Camp Upton.

On Armistice Day, 1938, he introduced "God Bless
America,"
which was sung by Kate Smith. This song threatened to replace the
national
anthem because of its patriotism and popularity.

In World War II, he wrote the musical This is the
Army,
which raised $10 million for the Army Emergency Relief. His hits in this
musical
were "This is the Army, Mr Jones" and I Left My Heart at the Stage Door
Canteen." He also wrote other patriotic songs such as "Any Bonds
Today?," "Arms
for the Love of America," and "Angels of Mercy" for the American Red
Cross.

Berlin was prolific: He wrote more than 900 songs, 19
musicals
and the scores of 18 movies. Some of his songs that have become classics
include
"There's No Business Like Show Business," "Easter Parade," and "White
Christmas." He is the top money maker among songwriters in America. In
1924,
songwriter Jerome Kern observed "Irving Berlin has no place in American
music.
He is American music."

Berlin supported Jewish charities and organizations
and donated
many dollars to worthwhile causes. He was honored in 1944 by the
National
Conference of Christians and Jews for "advancing the aims of the
conference to
eliminate religious and racial conflict." Five years later, he was
honored by
the New York YMHA as one of "12 outstanding Americans of the Jewish
faith." On
February 18, 1955, President Eisenhower presented him with a gold medal
in
recognition of his services in composing many patriotic songs for the
country.
Earlier, Berlin  assigned the copyright for "God Bless America" to the
God Bless
America Fund, which has raised millions of dollars for the Boy Scouts
and Girl
Scouts. Berlin's World War I doughboy uniform and many of his original
patriotic
scores are on display in the Jewish War Veterans Museum in Washington,
D.C.

Irving Berlin died on September 22, 1989, at the age
of 101.

Following a gala 100th birthday celebration concert
at Carnegie
Hall, Morton Gould, president of ASCAP, said that "Irving Berlin's music
will
last not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year, but
always."
Not bad for a poor immigrant who had only two years of formal schooling
and who
never learned to read or write music!