Celebrity Name : Irving Berlin

Celebrity Real Name : Israel Baline

Date of Birth : May 11, 1888

Birth Location : Israel, Tyumen, Russia

Biography of Israel Baline :
Irving Berlin (May 11, 1888– September 22, 1989), born Israel Isidore Baline (as per ), in Tyumen, Russia (or possibly Mogilev, now Belarus), was an American composer and lyricist, one of the most prodigious and famous American songwriters in history.
Berlin, who was Jewish, was one of the few Tin Pan Alley/Broadway songwriters who wrote both lyrics and music for his songs. Although he never learned to read music beyond a rudimentary level, he composed over 3,000 songs, many of which, including “God Bless America”, “White Christmas”, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, and “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” left an indelible mark on American music and culture. He produced 17 film scores and 21 Broadway scores, in addition to his individual songs.

Trivia :
* Berlin was the only person to ever find his own name on the winners’ envelope at the Oscars, winning the award for best music in an original song for the song “White Christmas” in the film Holiday Inn in 1942. Bing Crosby’s single of that song sold more than 30 million copies. Berlin was nominated for six others during his career.

* In spite of his musical career, Berlin never learned how to read music beyond a rudimentary level. He reportedly was unable to compose in any key other than F-sharp major (or, presumably, D-sharp minor, since he also wrote songs in minor keys) and owned a special piano that mechanically transposed keys while an assistant wrote out the music scores.
* Was once invited to lunch and asked inappropriate questions by Winston Churchill, who confused him with political philosopher Isaiah Berlin (’Desert Island Discs’, Radio 4, 19 April 1992)
* in 1945, while he was in Leyte, Philippines entertaining the American liberation troops, he composed the “Heaven Watch the Philippines” song.
* Became the oldest songwriter to have a hit in Billboard’s Top 100 with Taco Ockerse’s cover of “Puttin’ on the Ritz” recorded in 1982.
* Christmas and Easter can hardly be celebrated without Berlin’s songs, a fact Tom Lehrer had in mind when, explaining why he had written “I’m Spending Hannukah in Santa Monica,” quipped that America’s Jewish songwriters were too busy writing tunes for Christian holidays.[wikipedia]