Musicians - Johnny Mercer

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	Musicians - Johnny Mercer

John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist and composer.

Biography

Born in Savannah, Georgia, he is regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters, considered one of the key lyricists of the Great American Songbook. One of the co-founders of Capitol Records in the early 1940s, Mercer was often seen with the Nordstrom Sisters, who introduced him to backers. Well-regarded also as a singer, with a folksy singing quality, he was a natural for his own songs such as "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive," "On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe," and "Lazybones."

He penned "One for My Baby" on a napkin while sitting at the bar at P. J. Clarke's when Tommy Joyce was the bartender. The next day he called Tommy to apologize for the line "So, set 'em, Joe," "I couldn't get your name to rhyme."

Mercer often was asked to write new lyrics to already popular tunes (the lyrics to "Laura." "Midnight Sun," and "Satin Doll" were all written after the melodies were already hits) and to write English lyrics to foreign songs, the most famous example being "Autumn Leaves," based on the French "Les Feuilles Mortes."

Johnny Mercer also wrote the music for MGM films, which include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) and Merry Andrew (1958). In 1969 he helped publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond found the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame.

A good indication of Mercer's high esteem is the fact that, in 1964, he became the only lyricist to have his work recorded as a volume of Ella Fitzgerald's celebrated 'Songbook' albums for the Verve label.

Mercer died in Bel Air, California.

He was honored by the United States Postal Service with his portrait placed on a stamp in 1996. His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 1628 Vine Street is outside the Capitol Records building.

Trivia

A building called the Mercer House in Savannah was the scene of the murder recounted in the book and movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. The book includes considerable information about Mercer and it explains that the house was named for Mercer's grandfather, who had the house built but never lived in it. Johnny Mercer had no connection to the house.

Songs

Lyrics by Mercer, unless noted.

Mercer won four Academy Awards for Best Song:

"On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe" (1946) (music by Harry Warren
) for The Harvey Girls
"In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening" (1951) (music by Hoagy Carmichael) for Here Comes The Groom
"Moon River
" (1961) (music by Henry Mancini
) for Breakfast at Tiffany's
"Days of Wine and Roses
" (1962) (music by Henry Mancini
) for Days of Wine and Roses

He wrote many other songs which have entered the Great American Songbook:

"Lazybones" (1933) (words and music by Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael)
"Jeepers Creepers
" (1938) (music by Harry Warren
)
"And The Angels Sing" (1939) (music by Ziggy Elman)
"Day In - Day Out" (1939) (music by Rube Bloom)
"Blues In The Night" (1941) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"Hit The Road To Dreamland" (1942) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"I Remember You" (1942) (music by Victor Schertzinger)
"Skylark" (1942) (music by Hoagy Carmichael)
"That Old Black Magic
" (1942) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)
" (1943) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive
" (1944) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"Dream
" (1944) (words and music by Mercer)
"Laura" (1945) (music by David Raksin)
"Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" (1946) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"Come Rain Or Come Shine
" (1946) (music by Harold Arlen
)
"Autumn Leaves" (1947) (music by Joseph Kosma
)
"Satin Doll" (music by Duke Ellington
)
"Midnight Sun" (music by Lionel Hampton
and Sonny Burke
)
"Summer Wind" (1965) (music by Henry Mayer)
"Drinking Again" (with Doris Tauber)
"Hooray for Hollywood" (music by Richard A. Whiting
)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Johnny Mercer ]

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Musicians - Johnny Mercer

Biography

Trivia

Songs

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