George M. Cohan, Irish-American Song and Dance Man

George M. Cohan, (1878-1942), famed Broadway song and dance man whose songs helped define the World War I generation, was born in Providence RI on July 3, 1878.  

A  statue honoring Cohan at the corner of Wickendon and Governor Streets in Providence  was created by noted sculptor Robert Shure, who also created  the Irish Famine Memorial in Boston and in Providence.  The sculpture marks the birthplace of the famous American composer, actor, singer, and songwriter, who wrote and appeared in many Broadway musicals and in movies, defining the genre of musical comedies. In his hit song, “Yankee Doodle Boy,” Cohan claims to be “born on the Fourth of July,” which his family always insisted was accurate, even though his brith records show otherwise.

Cohan (1878-1942) was the son of Jeremiah Cohan from Boston and Nellie Costigan from Providence.  They met met on the vaudeville circuit and married in 1874.  George and his sister Josephine became part of a successful family troupe, The Four Cohans, which traveled around the country on the minstrel circuit, performing a cabaret of songs, dances, jokes and comedy routines popular at the time. 

In 1893 George settled in New York City and soon became the toast of Broadway, writing popular tunes like Yankee Doodle Dandy, You’re a Grand Old Flag, and Over There, a trio of songs that resonnated with Americans and Europeans during World War I. Cohan “composed, directed, produced, or starred in over 100 Broadway productions, making him the most prolific musical theater artist in history,” wrote Morgan. Stevens-Garmon.

Following Cohan’ death in 1942, “a memorial committee was formed to commission a statue in his honor. The committee’s first chairman was Irving Berlin, and later Oscar Hammerstein, took over as chairman, guiding the project to completion,” according to NYC Parks. “The committee selected Georg Lober as the sculptor and Otto Lanmann as the architect. The statue by sculptor Georg Lober was dedicated in 1959 in Times Square at 7th Avenue and W. 46th Street.

For  more about the contributions of Irish contributions to American popular culture, see Irish Boston: A Lively  Look at Boston’s Colorful Irish Past. 

For information on year round Irish cultural events in Massachusetts and the New England states, visit Irishboston.org

For more on Boston’s Irish-American heritage, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com.