Old-Time Radio and the Great American Songbook

Join the Elmhurst Public library as it presents Old-Time Radio and the Great American Songbook on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at 2 p.m. This hybrid event will be offered in person and virtually via Zoom. You’ll listen to recordings of America’s best-loved songwriters as they were heard on the radio, including Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and George Gershwin. At McGrath Elmhurst Toyota, we appreciate the many great programs available at the library. We hope you have a chance to check out Old-Time Radio and the Great American Songbook.

Johnny Mercer was an American songwriter, lyricist and singer who went on to co-found Capitol Records. As well as being a Tin Pan Alley lyricist, Mercer was also a composer and a singer. He recorded his own songs and music written by others. He was active from the 1930s through the 1950s. Mercer’s most popular songs included “Moon River,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” and “Hooray for Hollywood.” He penned the lyrics to over 1,500 songs, received nineteen Oscar nominations, and won four Oscars for Best Original Song.

Irving Berlin was a songwriter, composer and lyricist whose oeuvre is a significant part of the Great American Songbook. His first international hit came in 1911 with “Alexander’s Ragtime Band.” He wrote many other hit songs, including “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better),” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Easter Parade,” ““Happy Holiday,” There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” and “White Christmas.”

Cole Porter was a songwriter and composer. His songs were known for their witty lyrics, and many of his scores were used in the theater and in films. Porter’s musical accomplishments began in the 1920s. By the next decade, he was one of Broadway’s most successful songwriters. In 1948 he wrote the music and lyrics to the musical “Kiss Me, Kate,” which won the first Tony Award for Best Musical. His hit songs included “Begin the Beguine,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and “Night and Day.”

George Gershwin was a composer and pianist who worked in popular, jazz, and classical genres. His most famous compositions include the scores for “An American in Paris” and “Rhapsody in Blue,” as well as songs like “Fascinating Rhythm,” Embraceable You,” “I Got Rhythm,” and the opera “Porgy and Bess.”

Date and Time:
Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, at 2 p.m.

Location:
Elmhurst Public Library
125 S. Prospect Ave.
Elmhurst, IL 60126

Admission:
Free. Old-Time Radio and the Great American Songbook is a hybrid event. Registration is required.

• Register to attend virtually: https://bit.ly/3Li91Rr
• Register to attend in-person: https://bit.ly/3qHbj35

For More Information:
Email [email protected] or call 630-279-8696.