Irving Berlin, the Singing Waiter (by Jenny Factor)

Roger Gilbert's evocative recollection of Charles Trenet inspired me to include this additional excerpt from Lawrence J. Epstein's At the Edge of a Dream: The Story of Jewish Immigrants on New York's Lower East Side: 1880-1920.

"Berlin never learned to read or write music. He played the piano...using just the black keys...Born in Russia and subject to excruciating poverty, Irving Berlin...began his musical life leading a singing beggar into cafes. Blind Sol let Berlin sing with him once in a while, and the young boy found that he enjoyed the experience so much that he began singing in the cafes himself....In 1906, Berlin became a singing waiter at Pelham's Cafe, inventing risque lyrics to parody current hits. Two singing waiters at another cafe had published a song aimed at Italians and the song had been successful. Pelham's decided it had better get in the song business as well and had its piano player compose a similar song. Berlin's lyrics were used, and so his first song, "Marie from Sunny Italy," was published on May 8, 1907, three days before his nineteenth birthday."

Comments

[DL]

Thanks for this post on Uncle Irving, Jenny. I've just been reading about the scandal caused by his elopement with Ellin Mackay, an heiress whose anti-Semitic pop threatened to disown her. (Then came 1929, the stock market crashed, old man Mackay lost everything, and Berlin's songwriting prowess sustained him through the Depression.)You mentioned David Grubin in an earlier comment. I enjoyed his documentary on Jews in America -- as well as earlier ones he did on Napoleon and RFK. Stacey and I met David a few years ago through his daughter Eve, herself a fine poet, who is the poetry editor of "Lyric" and of Nextbook's 'zine.

[Jenny Factor]

Hi David: I would be interested in your recommendations on Irving Berlin (where have you been reading about his elopement with Mackey?). The Jews in America documentary meant a lot to me as well. I knew Eve Grubin in her MAKOR days and have kept an eye on her since. I admire her. An innovator and a good soul.

[DL]

Hi Jenny, I've been reading Edward Jablonski's bio of Berln. It's pretty good. I'm also going to read Berlin's daughter's memoir, which is said to be excellent.

[Kim]

Looking for any information, about Joseph Morris. Was supposed to have played with Irving Berlin at Jim Kelly's Speak Easy, before 1920. Would anyone know of Joseph, Fredreck or William Morris?