The song of the day for Saturday, May 11, 2024, is “Shaking The Blues Away.”
About Today
Today we are honoring one of the great American songwriters, Irving Berlin. He was born on May 11, 1888, in Tolochin, Belarus as Israel Beilin. A school dropout, he was drawn to music and worked as a bar singer and song plugger. He published his first song in 1907, his first step as a songwriter, with his big hit “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” written in 1911. He composed for Broadway and in Hollywood and remained active until 1962, with a Broadway musical Mr. President. He lived a long and full life until his death on September 22, 1989, at the age of 101.
About This Song
Irving Berlin wrote “Shaking The Blues Away” in 1927 for the Ziegfield Follies, where it was introduced by Ruth Etting. He later pulled it out of the trunk in 1948 for the film Easter Parade, where it was a dance number for Ann Miller.
About This Version
Tony Bennett recorded “Shaking The Blues Away” in May 1987 for his album Bennett/Berlin.
“Shaking The Blues Away,” as well as Bennett/Berlin, is available on Apple Music.
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