Ira Gershwin

From Grokipedia

Ira Gershwin (December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist renowned for his sophisticated, witty contributions to the Great American Songbook, most notably through his lifelong collaboration with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin. Born Israel Gershovitz in New York City to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents, he began writing song lyrics in the late 1910s, initially under pseudonyms, and rose to prominence in the 1920s with hits from Broadway musicals such as Lady, Be Good! (1924), featuring songs like "Fascinating Rhythm" and "Oh, Lady Be Good!," and Oh, Kay! (1926), which included "Someone to Watch Over Me."

Gershwin's partnership with George produced over two dozen musicals and films, yielding timeless standards such as "I Got Rhythm," "Embraceable You," and "The Man I Love," characterized by their clever wordplay, rhythmic precision, and integration of jazz influences. In 1931, the brothers co-wrote the score for Of Thee I Sing, a satirical musical that became the first to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1932, with Ira sharing the award alongside librettists George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. Following George's death in 1937, Ira continued a prolific career spanning four decades, partnering with composers including Harold Arlen on A Star Is Born (1954, with "The Man That Got Away"), Kurt Weill on Lady in the Dark (1941), and Jerome Kern, while also publishing his 1959 memoir Lyrics on Several Occasions.

His work, blending vernacular American idiom with poetic elegance, influenced generations of songwriters and earned him induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971, solidifying his legacy as a cornerstone of 20th-century popular music.

In brief

Ira Gershwin (born Israel Gershovitz; December 6, 1896 – August 17, 1983) was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable English-language songs of the 20th century. With George, he wrote more than a dozen Broadway shows, featuring songs such as "I Got Rhythm", "Embraceable You", "The Man I Love", and "Someone to Watch Over Me". He was also responsible, along with DuBose Heyward, for the libretto to George's opera Porgy and Bess.

The success the Gershwin brothers had with their collaborative works has often overshadowed the creative role that Ira played. His mastery of songwriting continued after George's early death in 1937. Ira wrote additional hit songs with composers Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern and Harold Arlen.