Ira Gershwin

One-half of the most popular American songwriting team of the 20th century, lyricist Ira Gershwin penned dozens of timeless classics alongside his brother, composer George Gershwin, and other giants of the music industry. Though lyrics were not the focus of his early writing aspirations, the shy, retiring Ira eventually teamed with his younger sibling on Broadway, writing music for such early productions as "Ladies First" and "Lady, Be Good." A string of Broadway successes followed throughout the 1920s and 1930s, among them the Fred and Adele Astaire starrer "Funny Face," the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Of Thee I Sing," and the classic American opera "Porgy and Bess." Seemingly overnight, songs like "Fascinating Rhythm," "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It" became part of the American musical vernacular. As shattering as his brother's sudden death in 1937 was for Gershwin, he eventually returned to work with several other composers on theater and film projects that included the Kurt Weill Broadway musical "Lady in the Dark," the Gene Kelly/Rita Hayworth romance "Cover Girl" (1944), and the heartrending lyrics to the song "The Man that Got Away" for the Judy Garland melodrama "A Star Is Born" (1954). Years after his retirement and eventual passing, Gershwin and his brother's work still managed to generate big box office with Broadway hits like "My One and Only" and "Crazy for You." Without a doubt, Ira Gershwin would be remembered as one of the defining voices of the American musical.