Composer George Gershwin was born on September 26, 1898, and began taking piano lessons at an early age. As Gershwin was putting together his famous ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ in 1924, jazz was gaining widespread popularity. But Gershwin sought to do something new: ‘Jazz, they said, had to be in strict time. It had to cling to dance rhythms. I resolved to kill that misconception with one sturdy blow.’ Audiences loved it. He and his brother Ira collaborated in 1934 to create Porgy and Bess, an opera that explored African-American culture. Many of its songs have become ingrained in American popular culture. Just a few years later, when he was only 38, Gershwin died of a brain tumor.
Photo: Library of Congress
