In 1937, George Gershwin bought himself a Crosley XᐧERᐧVAC, the latest mechanized innovation in hair-growth technology. Indeed, he had always been interested in trying out “new principles.” This appetite for the cutting-edge may have gotten him a name as a modern and uniquely American composer, but it had little effect on his receding hair line. By Ellen Sauer On April 20th, 1937, George Gershwin mentioned a strange device in a letter to his dear friend Mabel Schirmer: “I am lying comfortable on a chaise lounge with a new gadget, which I have just bought, on my head. You would probably […]

Unrefined brilliance may be a thousand times more striking than uninspired finesse, but such realities are not always obvious to the artist at work. How did George Gershwin’s opinions of his Second Rhapsody measure up to those of the public? Read on to find out! By Cassidy Goldblatt “Second-rate: adj., of mediocre or inferior quality.” Applied to George Gershwin’s Second Rhapsody (1931), it’s only a halfway accurate description, applicable more to public sentiment than to the work’s compositional coherence. George described the piece as, “in many respects, such as orchestration and form, . . . the best thing I’ve written,” […]

Did you know that “But Not for Me” has been used in many popular films? This song was originally written by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1930 musical Girl Crazy and sung by Ginger Rogers. Judy Garland later sang “But Not for Me” in the 1943 film adaptation of Girl Crazy. Ella Fitzgerald also recorded a cover of this song for her album Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Songbook. Her rendition took home the 1960 Grammy Award for Best Female Vocal Performance. “But Not for Me” has also been featured in many popular movies, including Manhattan (1979), […]

“Someone to Watch Over Me” is one of George and Ira’s most beloved pieces. Many artists perform it as a love song—but few people know that when it was first performed, it was sung to a Raggedy Ann Doll. By Rachel Fernandes “Someone to Watch Over Me” is one of the Gershwins’ most iconic songs, written by Ira for his wife Leonore in commemoration of their marriage on September 14, 1926. The song made its Broadway debut in the smash hit musical Oh, Kay! (1926). Oh, Kay! is a love story about lady’s man Jimmy Winters who is engaged to […]

In 1933, a 139-year-old Pennsylvania “Blue Law” that had prohibited the performance of major musical concerts on the Sabbath was repealed. George Gershwin and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra were the first concert after this repeal. The day before George noted, “I dare say that if beer were banished from Austria, 100,000 musicians would be out of work” (St. Petersburg Times, Nov 20th, 1933). On Sunday, Nov 20 1933, they performed Concerto in F, An American in Paris, and, fittingly, Rhapsody in Blue. To top it all off, Gershwin sold the first ticket to the landmark performance date himself, at 2pm […]

The celebrated Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr. put on countless Broadway shows during his career, one of which included a score and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin. Yet in spite of the fact that all three collaborators had admirable reputations, this particular working relationship was a rather unstable one. By Cassidy Goldblatt Those familiar with Florenz Ziegfeld, Jr.’s 1929 musical comedy Show Girl know that George Gershwin’s score included his newly completed An American in Paris, arranged to open the second act. What many may not be aware of, however, is the fact that An American in Paris was a last-minute […]

DuBose’s mother, Jane Heyward, ventured up to New York City after the premiere of Porgy and Bess, and George Gershwin sent a warm hello her way. By Frances Sobolak Porgy and Bess had its official premiere on September 30th in Boston and its Broadway premiere at the Alvin Theatre in New York City on October 10th. In October 1935, Jane Heyward, DuBose Heyward’s mother, left her abode in Charleston, South Carolina and traveled up to New York City with the intent of, presumably, seeing the newly premiered opera. During Jane’s visit, George Gershwin sent a brief letter to her hotel […]

Before Porgy and Bess premiered in September 1935, it seems that George had made a bet in 1922 that he would produce an opera in ten years. According to The Washington Post, he lost this bet by three years! By Rachel Fernandes Two months before Porgy and Bess’s September 1935 premiere, an article in The Washington Post suggested that George Gershwin had lost a long-standing bet: that he would “have an opera produced in ten years.” Gershwin conveniently couldn’t remember with whom he’d made the 1922 wager, and the article—penned 13 years later—cheekily observed that while he had lost this […]

By Sarah Sisk In 1934, George Gershwin hosted his own radio show, called Music by Gershwin. Although little-known today, this program happens to be crucial to the existence of one of Gershwin’s greatest works, Porgy and Bess. “George Gershwin belonged to the radio age. His genius freshened the life-blood of radio—Music. His growth and triumphs paralleled the magic advances of broadcasting which in a flash introduced his popular melodies to the entire nation.” New York Times, July 18, 1937. So begins a July 18, 1937, New York Times article, written in homage a mere week after the beloved composer’s unexpected […]

PBS will air the tribute concert for the legendary Motown and R&B singer and songwriter on February 10, 2017. By: Sarah Sisk On November 16, the award ceremony and tribute concert for the eighth annual Gershwin Prize for Popular Song was held at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. The Gershwin Initiative’s editor-in-chief Dr. Mark Clague and managing editor, Dr. Jessica Getman, traveled to D.C. to attend the annual concert that celebrates each year’s Gershwin Prize recipient. (Perhaps you have seen some of their photos from the evening on our Facebook page, American Music Institute / Gershwin Initiative.) Smokey Robinson […]