George Gershwin

Birth Name:

George Gershwin

Birth Place:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States

Profession

Soundtrack, Music department

Along with Ira Gershwin, he received the Congressional Gold Medal in 1985
Was posthumously honored with a special Pulitzer Prize commemorating the centennial year of his birth and his distinguished and enduring contributions to American music
Was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006
As a teenager, he worked as a song plugger for a New York publishing firm
Quote: "Life is a lot like jazz․․ it's best when you improvise․"
Best known for composing "Rhapsody in Blue," his attempt to reconcile Tin Pan Alley with Carnegie Hall by combining jazz with classical music
Collaborated extensively with his brother Ira Gershwin, writing subtle melodies to his brother's lyrics
His picture appeared on an 8 cent U․S․ commemorative postage stamp issued in 1973
According to an estimate of his accrued earnings throughout his lifetime by "The Guardian," he was the wealthiest composer of all time as of 2005
He and Ira Gershwin wrote the fight song for UCLA, "Strike Up the Band for UCLA․"

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