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God Bless America...and Irving Berlin!
September 22, 1989, marked the passing of Irving Berlin at 101 years old. Berlin, who was born in Russia in 1888, immigrated to America in 1893 and would become one of the greatest American composers and lyricists of all time. In 1911, Berlin wrote his first hit song, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”. It created such an impression, one German newspaper called it a “public menace…inducing hysteria in its listeners”. I always thought that was AC/DC….but I digress. Berlin wrote an estimated 1,500 songs that expressed the heart of America and her people. His songs are simple, eloquent, and profound. “God Bless America”, our second National Anthem, was written during WWI for a patriotic show called “Yip Yip Yaphank” but was not used. It was then revived and debuted in 1938 for the 20th Anniversary of Armistice Day. With the outbreak of WWII in 1941, Berlin wrote another patriotic show, “This Is The Army” and toured for three-and-a-half years, performing the show for troops all over the world. In 1943, the show was adapted for a movie with Ronald Reagan and Joan Leslie, where they performed their version of “God Bless America”. Though the royalties for “God Bless America” had been assigned to the Boy Scouts, royalties for the show and movie were assigned to the US Treasury, and it earned over $10 Million for the war effort. For his service, Mr. Berlin was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Truman. Mr. Berlin was a patriot, he loved America, and he loved the American people. He was a man of humility and grace and was a role model for us all. So this week at King's Hobby Shop, 7801 N Lamar Blvd, Suite E-188 we celebrate the life of Irving Berlin and his contribution to the war effort in WWII with an All-American selection just for you. Or you can log in to kingshobby.com to see all the patriotic items available in our virtual warehouse.
King's Hobby Shop Staff
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