Irving Berlin collection of non-commercial sound recordings [sound recording]

Irving Berlin(1888-1989) was one of the great American songwriters of the 20th century. He was born Israel Baline in Eastern Russia and died in New York City. In 1907 he published his first song, Marie From Sunny Italy and by 1911 he had his first major international hit, Alexander's Ragtime Band. Over the next five decades, Irving Berlin wrote many ballads, dance numbers, novelty tunes and love songs that defined American popular song for much of the century.

He wrote seventeen complete scores for Broadway musicals and revues, and contributed material to six more. Among the shows featuring all-Berlin scores are The Cocoanuts, As Thousands Cheer, Louisiana Purchase, Miss Liberty, Mister President, Call Me Madam and Annie Get Your Gun. Among the Hollywood movies with scores by Irving Berlin are Top Hat, Follow The Fleet, On The Avenue, Alexander's Ragtime Band, Holiday Inn, This Is The Army, Blue Skies, Easter Parade, White Christmas and There's No Business Like Show Business.

Irving Berlin was a co-founder of ASCAP, founder of his own music publishing company, and, with producer Sam Harris, builder of 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 organizations.