Although Berlin wrote what is arguably the most popular secular Christmas song ever written, "White Christmas," Christmas was always a bittersweet time for the Berlin family. Irving and Eileen Berlin's only son, Irving, Jr., died at only a few weeks old, of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, on Christmas Day, 1928. Every year, on Christmas Day, the Berlins would lay a Christmas wreath on his grave, a tradition their heirs carry on today.
Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives". Volume Two, 1986-1990, pages 87-91. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1999.
Brother-in-law of E. Ray Goetz.
Could not read music.
Daughter Elizabeth married second husband Alton E. Peters and now goes by Elizabeth Irving Peters.
Daughter Linda lives in Paris with husband Edouard C. Emmet.
Daughter, Linda, was named after Cole Porter's wife.
Despite the fact that he was one of America's most prolific songwriters, Berlin suffered frequent attacks of writer's block, which could last anywhere from several days to several months.
Died of natural causes at age 101.
During the filming of his singing his composition "Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning" in This Is the Army (1943), one of the backstage crew was heard to have whispered to another crew worker, "If the guy who wrote this song could hear this guy singing it, he'd roll over in his grave!".
Father of Mary Ellen Barrett.
First artist to actually present himself with an Oscar when he won for song "White Christmas" from Holiday Inn (1942).
First met lifelong best friend Fred Astaire on the set of Top Hat (1935).
He had four children: Mary Ellin Berlin (born November 25, 1926), Irving Berlin, Jr. (December 1-December 25, 1928), Linda Louise Berlin (born February 21, 1932), and Elizabeth Iris Berlin (born June 16, 1936).
He had nine grandchildren: Edward Watson Emmet (born circa 1968), Ellin Emmet, and Caroline Emmet from daughter Linda; Elizabeth Matson (born in 1954), Irving Barrett (born in 1955), Mary Ellin Barrett Lerner (born in 1956), and Katherine Swett (born in 1960), from daughter Mary Ellin; and Emily Anstice Fisher (born circa 1966) and Rachel, from daughter Elizabeth.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 7095 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
His daughter Elizabeth married Edmund Boyd Fisher in London in September, 1963. They later divorced.
His first wife, Dorothy, was born in March, 1892. She died of typhoid fever and pneumonia.
His great-grandchildren include: Peter and James Matson; Benjamin Lerner; Rachel, Nicholas and William Swett; and granddaughter Emily's daughters Madeleine and Isobel Fletcher.
His infant son, Irving Berlin, Jr., died Christmas morning, 1928. He was suffering from typhoid fever at the time of his death. Berlin's wife, Ellin, who was estranged from her father, heard from him for the first time when he sent her a letter of condolence. They fully reconciled in 1931.