Alan Gershwin, Who Claimed a Famous Father, Is Dead at 91

NY Times ^ | 6 March 2018 | DAVID MARGOLICK

[oh8eleven]

For 70 years or so, Alan Gershwin insisted he was George Gershwin’s long-lost son. And with his death on Feb. 27 at 91 in a Bronx hospital, the curtain came down on what was surely the Gershwins’ most bizarre show ever, revolving around whether this affable but monomaniacal man was one of the greatest victims in American musical history, or a grifter running a long-term con, or someone suffering decades of delusion.

[oh8eleven]

As much as I enjoy George Gershwin's music, I can't ever recall reading one word about Alan Gershwin who claimed to be George's illegitimate son.
Regardless, I found this story to be a really interesting read. The Roaring Twenties must have really been something.

[nwrep]

the NYT has the best obituaries....

[DUMBGRUNT]

Rhapsody in Blue!

Among the sweetest of sounds.

If only I’d never known of the steam train ‘thing’, now I sometimes hear too much of the train, better with the brain disengaged.

[rlmorel]

They certainly gave Alger Hiss a wonderful sendoff...and wouldn’t even print an obituary on Joseph McCarthy.

[left that other site]

Do they have any of George or Ira’s DNA hanging around to check?

[Pollster1]

A genetic test could have provided the answer. Clearly, one side or the other didn’t want the truth.

[Nevadan]

He does looks a lot like Gershwin. Nowadays it is no big thing to father a child out of wedlock. It seems to be the general practice rather than the exception. But years ago it was not that way. The truth of a child fathered by anyone famous back then would usually have been kept a secret.

[oh8eleven]

Do they have any of George or Ira’s DNA hanging around to check?
Not from what I read, and I would imagine they purposely don't to avoid claims against the Gershwin Trust.

[Red Badger]

the NYT has the best obituaries....

Yes, I look forward to reading quite a few...................

[oh8eleven]

[Steely Tom]

Astounding performance of An American In Paris by the New York Philharmonic in Pyongyang, North Korea:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Note audience reactions.

[dsc]

“Blood tests revealed that the cousin with whom Mr. Gershwin claimed to have been reared was his brother after all.”

Really? How? I thought you had to have DNA for that.

[CivilWarBrewing]

ROARING Twenties = Coca-Cola with real COCAINE in it.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

#5: "Do they have any of George or Ira’s DNA hanging around to check?"

Yes, in a way they do. There was a third Gershwin brother who was a stockbroker Arthur Gershwin. He had a son Marc George Gershwin. And he had three sons Adam, Todd, and Alex. The latter three currently run the George Gershwin Trust.

This is very fortunate because a yDNA test on any one of them would give pretty strong evidence that the man who just died (Alan Gershwin) share the same paternal line. That is assuming that the late Alan Gershwin ever had a DNA test done.
 

[oh8eleven]

Really? How? I thought you had to have DNA for that.
And even then, I don't think you can determine exact relationships.
It's like some who claim to be descendants of Thomas Jefferson - they claim DNA proves a direct link to him specifically, but the science only points to someone in the Jefferson family.

[Menehune56]

I’d never heard of Alan Gershwin either. That was a fascinating article, thanks for posting it.

[dsc]

“It’s like some who claim to be descendants of Thomas Jefferson - they claim DNA proves a direct link to him specifically, but the science only points to someone in the Jefferson family.”

Yes, but that won’t stop the FOE (Forces of Evil) from repeating that lie ad infinitum.

[oh8eleven]

Coca-Cola with real COCAINE in it
LOL ... reminds me back in the "roaring 60s" - me listening to my mother tell stories about when my grandfather was a rum runner and my grandmother was a flapper girl.
And of course me looking at grampy & granny and thinking - "Are you kidding me?"

[lee martell]

Whatever happened to that young black man who has been saying he’s Bill Clinton’s son? Last I heard of him was during the 2016 election campaign. “I don’t want money, I just want to get to know him.” He and his tales have disappeared.
In this case, this man was the result of Clinton and a prostitute. The Prostitute has already been paid.
Although it would be nice, Clinton does not have to acknowledge this man if he chooses not to.

[Fresh Wind]

Do they have any of George or Ira’s DNA hanging around to check?

Well, there was a gold digger who claimed to be Salvador Dali's illegitimate daughter. She got a court to order Dali's body to be exhumed so that a DNA test could be run. It turned out that she wasn't his daughter.