Music Minute!

Leontyne Price as Bess in 'Porgy and Bess'.

Did you know that ‘Summertime’ is one of the most covered songs of all time?

Written by George Gershwin as an aria for the African-American opera ‘Porgy & Bess’ in 1935, the song was originally recorded by Abbie Mitchell. Since that time, ’Summertime’ has been performed by over 25,000 people in the field of Jazz, classical music, Pop, Soul and R&B.

Among the notable covers of ‘Summertime’ is Leontyne Price’s version, which she performed after playing the role of Bess in ‘Porgy & Bess’. Other acts who sang the tune include Celine Dion, Fantasia, Leona Lewis and the legendary Ella Fitzgerald.

Watch some of the most famous performances of ‘Summertime’ below:

Celine Dion

Ella Fitzgerald

Fantasia

Leona Lewis

Leontyne Price

Now you know!