| Irving Berlin
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![[Alexander Fleming]](https://dev.freemasonry.bcy.ca/biography/images/berlin_i.jpg) |
May 1888 – September 22nd 1989 Born Israel Berlin in May 1888, he had his first major international hit, Alexander’s Ragtime Band in 1911. Irving Berlin’s music defined American popular song for much of the century: White Christmas, Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better, There’s No Business Like Show Business, Puttin’ On The Ritz and God Bless America being only a few of his pieces. He wrote seventeen Broadway musicals and many movie musical scores, winning a special Tony Award (1963) and the Academy Award for Best Song of the Year (White Christmas) in 1942. Irving Berlin was a co-founder of ASCAP, founder of his own music publishing company, and, with producer Sam Harris, built his own Broadway Theatre, the Music Box. Through many of his foundations, including the God Bless America Fund and This Is The Army Inc. he donated millions of dollars in royalties to Army Emergency Relief, the Boy and Girl Scouts and other organisations. He also wrote at least one pop tune with masonic reference: Call Me Up Some Rainy Afternoon Initiated: May 12, 1910 Passed: May 26, 1910 Raised: June 3, 1910 Life Member: December 12, 1935 Munn Lodge No. 190, New York
Source: Denslow, 10,000 Famous Freemasons |