[S.F. Chronicle obituary, 6 June 2003]
W. Strunsky -- in circle of Gershwins
by Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
W. English Strunksy, the brother-in-law of lyricist Ira Gershwin and a member of the famed musical and literary salons of New York City during the 1920s and 1930s, has died.
Mr. Strunsky, 94, died June 2 in San Francisco after a brief illness.
A chance discussion between Gershwin and Mr. Strunsky, who was then a ketchup entrepreneur, led to the creation of one of America's best-loved songs.
Gershwin asked Mr. Strunsky why he had changed the way he was pronouncing the word "tomato," and Mr. Strunksy replied that it was because his tomato broker said it that way.
Before long, Gershwin and his brother, composer George Gershwin, had created the 1937 classic "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," which included the memorable line, "You like to-MAY-to, and I like to-MAH-to."
Here's the story:
English owned a tomato canning plant in New Jersey. One day, he took Ira Gershwin on a tour of the place. Ira was impressed, except he pronounced it "toe-mah-toe."
"Ira," English told him, "if I said it that way, none of the workers would know what I was talking about."
Ira replied, "You're just like Leonore. If I say, 'ee-ther,' she says 'eye-ther.'"
W. Strunsky -- in circle of Gershwins
by Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
W. English Strunksy, the brother-in-law of lyricist Ira Gershwin and a member of the famed musical and literary salons of New York City during the 1920s and 1930s, has died.
Mr. Strunsky, 94, died June 2 in San Francisco after a brief illness.
A chance discussion between Gershwin and Mr. Strunsky, who was then a ketchup entrepreneur, led to the creation of one of America's best-loved songs.
Gershwin asked Mr. Strunsky why he had changed the way he was pronouncing the word "tomato," and Mr. Strunksy replied that it was because his tomato broker said it that way.
Before long, Gershwin and his brother, composer George Gershwin, had created the 1937 classic "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," which included the memorable line, "You like to-MAY-to, and I like to-MAH-to."
Here's the story:
English owned a tomato canning plant in New Jersey. One day, he took Ira Gershwin on a tour of the place. Ira was impressed, except he pronounced it "toe-mah-toe."
"Ira," English told him, "if I said it that way, none of the workers would know what I was talking about."
Ira replied, "You're just like Leonore. If I say, 'ee-ther,' she says 'eye-ther.'"
[S.F. Chronicle obituary, 6 June 2003]
W. Strunsky -- in circle of Gershwins
by Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
W. English Strunksy, the brother-in-law of lyricist Ira Gershwin and a member of the famed musical and literary salons of New York City during the 1920s and 1930s, has died.
Mr. Strunsky, 94, died June 2 in San Francisco after a brief illness.
A chance discussion between Gershwin and Mr. Strunsky, who was then a ketchup entrepreneur, led to the creation of one of America's best-loved songs.
Gershwin asked Mr. Strunsky why he had changed the way he was pronouncing the word "tomato," and Mr. Strunksy replied that it was because his tomato broker said it that way.
Before long, Gershwin and his brother, composer George Gershwin, had created the 1937 classic "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," which included the memorable line, "You like to-MAY-to, and I like to-MAH-to."
Here's the story:
English owned a tomato canning plant in New Jersey. One day, he took Ira Gershwin on a tour of the place. Ira was impressed, except he pronounced it "toe-mah-toe."
"Ira," English told him, "if I said it that way, none of the workers would know what I was talking about."
Ira replied, "You're just like Leonore. If I say, 'ee-ther,' she says 'eye-ther.'"
W. Strunsky -- in circle of Gershwins
by Steve Rubenstein, Chronicle Staff Writer
W. English Strunksy, the brother-in-law of lyricist Ira Gershwin and a member of the famed musical and literary salons of New York City during the 1920s and 1930s, has died.
Mr. Strunsky, 94, died June 2 in San Francisco after a brief illness.
A chance discussion between Gershwin and Mr. Strunsky, who was then a ketchup entrepreneur, led to the creation of one of America's best-loved songs.
Gershwin asked Mr. Strunsky why he had changed the way he was pronouncing the word "tomato," and Mr. Strunksy replied that it was because his tomato broker said it that way.
Before long, Gershwin and his brother, composer George Gershwin, had created the 1937 classic "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," which included the memorable line, "You like to-MAY-to, and I like to-MAH-to."
Here's the story:
English owned a tomato canning plant in New Jersey. One day, he took Ira Gershwin on a tour of the place. Ira was impressed, except he pronounced it "toe-mah-toe."
"Ira," English told him, "if I said it that way, none of the workers would know what I was talking about."
Ira replied, "You're just like Leonore. If I say, 'ee-ther,' she says 'eye-ther.'"
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Burial Date: 9/4/2003
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