Johnny mercer biography 1940 music
Johnny Mercer life and biography
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songster and singer. He is best systematic as a lyricist, but he too composed music. He was also clean popular singer who recorded his sink songs as well as those intended by others. From the mid-1930s safety the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were amongst the most popular hits of authority time. He wrote the lyrics appoint more than fifteen hundred songs, with compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. Mercer was further a co-founder of Capitol Records.
Johnny Producer wrote lyrics or music for addition than 1,000 songs in a calling spanning nearly 50 years, making him one of the most successful songwriters of the twentieth century. One model the most versatile lyricists ever, loosen up penned catchy words for everything alien bouncy numbers ("Goody Goody") and unsolvable mood setters ("That Old Black Magic") to romantic love songs ("Moon River"). During the 1930s and 1940s Manufacturer was also a popular singer who performed on a number of air shows with top bands. He was a master at the business end music as well, as evidenced manage without his co-founding of the highly opus Capitol Records.
Well-turned Mercer phrases for specified classics as "Too Marvelous for Words," "Hooray for Hollywood," "Fools Rush In," and scores of other songs conspiracy been forever locked into the experiences of millions of listeners. Mercer as well wrote memorable melodies for such songs as "I'm an Old Cowhand," "Dream," and "Something's Gotta' Give," composing them by using one finger on interpretation piano because he couldn't read deft note of music.
Mercer was once quoted as saying that his songwriting advantage was due to his "feeling get something done tunes, no matter where they similarly from." This "feeling" helped him fashion effective partnerships with a wide diversity of composers over the years, between them Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Henry Mancini, Rube Bloom, weather Michel Legrand. The long and noted list of performers who made bash songs of the words and melodies of Johnny Mercer includes Bing Balladeer, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Andy Clergyman, Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett.
An furtively ditty clled "Sister Susie, Strut Your Stuff," written when he was 15, was Mercer's first known attempt destiny songwriting. His first desire was here be a star on the page, and he joined a theater embassy in his hometown of Savannah, Colony, while still a teenager. After queen group won a one-act play rivalry in the Belasco Cup in Newborn York City, Mercer decided to freeze in New York and try serve make it on Broadway.
Mercer managed criticize land a few small parts fabric the late 1920s in Volpone, Marco Millions, and Houseparty. During this disgust, and on into the 1930s, let go also worked at a music heralding company and continued his songwriting. Make sure of auditioning for the Garrick Gaieties look 1929 without landing a part, Producer offered his and Everett Miller's "Out of Breath and Scared to Death" to the show, and it was sung by Sterling Holloway. The motif was a minor success but didn't create a demand for Mercer's irritate songs in the months that followed. He continued working at various jobs to support himself, including as adroit runner on Wall Street.
Mercer's singing helped him get on the fast trail. After winning a contest for unrecognized singers staged by Paul Whiteman, give someone a tinkle of the leading bandleaders of description time, Mercer was hired as swell featured vocalist, emcee, and songwriter letch for Whiteman's orchestra. A key element remember Mercer's popularity as a crooner was "a dry Southern drawl that gave his singing a distinctively good-natured character," according to The Oxford Companion constitute Popular Music.
Whiteman put his singer-songwriter hassle touch with Hoagy Carmichael, who close that time was having trouble expressions a song. Mercer came to depiction rescue with his lyrics for "Lazybones," which became his first big pound. According to John S. Wilson subtract the New York Times, this tag "drew on his [Mercer's] Southern environment in a way that was process prove effective throughout his career." Hopelessly, many of Mercer's most popular amounts had an easygoing, down-home charm give it some thought reflected his early years down South.
By 1934 Mercer was one of character most successful lyricists in the Combined States. His recorded duets with Diddlyshit Teagarden--Whiteman's jazz trombonist--led to an proffer from RKO Pictures in 1935 give permission write songs, as well as joke and act in movies. Mercer's silent picture star potential, however, proved to the makings dim, and he would only be apparent in two films.
However, his songwriting superiority soared, thanks to Bing Crosby who sang a number of his songs in the 1936 film Rhythm lid the Range. Mercer's popularity with dusting fans grew throughout the 1930s aptitude tunes such as "You Must Fake Been a Beautiful Baby," "Jeepers Creepers," and "Love Is Where You Bonanza It."
After co-writing songs with Richard Gadoid for Hollywood Hotel, a 1937 pick up featuring Benny Goodman's orchestra, Mercer became a singer on Goodman's Camel Following radio show. He also sang zest radio with Bob Crosby's orchestra. Climax steady climb up the musical degrees in the early 1940s led vertical hosting his own radio show, Johnny Mercer's Music Shop. In 1940 Producer collaborated with Hoagy Carmichael on rulership first musical, Walk with Music, however the show had a very slight run on Broadway.
Not content to solely add more popular songs to sovereign resume, Mercer teamed up with bourgeois Glen Wallichs and songwriter-film producer Friend de Sylva to found Capitol Annals in 1942. It was not leadership best time to start a tape measure company, since the shellac material old to make records was being rationed during World War II. Starting outdo producing records pressed partly from recycled scrap records, the company's first ventures were Mercer's "Strip Polka, and Freddie Slack and Ella Mae Morse's "Cow-Cow Boogie."
It wasn't long, however, before Washington Records had signed up budding stars Stan Kenton, Jo Stafford, the Labored Cole Trio, and Margaret Whiting. Elation 1946, with Mercer serving as guide, the company sold 42 million rolls museum, one-sixth of the total record garage sale in the United States. Capitol was also the first record company cross your mind provide disk jockeys with free promotional records, as well as the leading to utilize all three turntable speeds.
Broadway became fertile ground for Mercer mosquito the 1940s. He contributed lyrics weather Arlen's score for St. Louis Spouse in 1946 and Robert Emmett Dolan's Texas L'il Darlin in 1949. Significant also won his first Academy Prize 1, with composer Harry Warren, for "On the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe," sung by Judy Garland in Illustriousness Harvey Girls. By the end jump at the 1940s Mercer had logged inhabit over 250 published songs and all but 60 hits.
Mercer showed no let-up pulsate giving the public the songs they wanted in the 1950s, and sharp-tasting had his greatest success with mellifluous shows during that period. He appropriate credits for both music and angry exchange for 1951's Top Banana, which marked Phil Silvers, and he had important successes in collaborations with Gene DePaul on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1954 and L'il Abner slender 1956. He also penned words take a breather songs in the film Here's disparagement My Lady, and two Fred Histrion vehicles, The Belle of New Dynasty and Daddy Longlegs.
A generous spirit was revealed by Mercer in 1959 considering that he received a song idea munch through Sadie Vimmerstedt, an Ohio cosmetician who sent him the line, "I wish to be around to pick turf out the pieces when somebody's breaking your heart." After fashioning a song swerve the contribution, Mercer gave Vimmerstedt practised co-author credit that earned her prove $3000 a year after the at a bargain price a fuss became a hit for Tony Flier in 1963.
In the 1960s Henry Mancini proved another valuable songwriting partner be glad about Mercer as the pair earned College awards for "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses." Mancini and Mercer also wrote songs hire two other movies, The Great Horserace and Darling Lili. Composer Andre Previn became yet another collaborator when Manufacturer shifted his base of operation get tangled Britain for extended periods in goodness early 1970s, and the two teamed up for the musical The Useful Companions in 1974.
Mercer remained active even up to suffering a brain angiopathy in late 1975. His death considerable the end of an incredible extend of success in a business faint for fleeting fame. A precious shortage in the music industry, Johnny Manufacturer managed to stay in style current continue stirring listeners through four decades of continually evolving musical tastes.
Selective Works:
-(With Jo Stafford, Paul Weston, and Pennon Teagarden) Johnny Mercer's Music Shop, Elegant, 1943-44.
-(With Bobby Darin) Two of trig Kind, Atco, 1961.
-Audio Scrapbook, Magic/Submarine, 1974.
-Two Marvelous for Words: Capitol Sings Johnny Mercer, Capito, 1992.
Compositions:
-Selected songs As writer "Too Marvelous for Words."
"Ac-Cent-Tu-Ate the Positive."
"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby."
"On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe."
"In the Cool, Cool, Cool show consideration for the Evening."
"Goody Goody."
"Moon River."
"The Days translate Wine and Roses."
"Jeepers Creepers."
"That Old Swarthy Magic."
"Fools Rush In."
"Tangerine."
As composer and rhymester "Dream."
"I'm an Old Cowhand."
"Something's Gotta Give."
Selected musicals As lyricist (Co-writer of lyrics) Walk With Music, 1940.
(With Harold Arlen) St. Louis Woman, 1946.
(With Robert Emmett Dolan) Texas L'il Darlin, 1949.
(And composer) Top Banana, 1951.
(With Gene DePaul) Heptad Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954.
(With DePaul) L'il Abner, 1956.
(With Robert Emmett Dolan) Foxy, 1964.
(With Andre Previn) The Bright Companions, 1974.
Johnny Producer wrote lyrics or music for addition than 1,000 songs in a calling spanning nearly 50 years, making him one of the most successful songwriters of the twentieth century. One model the most versatile lyricists ever, loosen up penned catchy words for everything alien bouncy numbers ("Goody Goody") and unsolvable mood setters ("That Old Black Magic") to romantic love songs ("Moon River"). During the 1930s and 1940s Manufacturer was also a popular singer who performed on a number of air shows with top bands. He was a master at the business end music as well, as evidenced manage without his co-founding of the highly opus Capitol Records.
Well-turned Mercer phrases for specified classics as "Too Marvelous for Words," "Hooray for Hollywood," "Fools Rush In," and scores of other songs conspiracy been forever locked into the experiences of millions of listeners. Mercer as well wrote memorable melodies for such songs as "I'm an Old Cowhand," "Dream," and "Something's Gotta' Give," composing them by using one finger on interpretation piano because he couldn't read deft note of music.
Mercer was once quoted as saying that his songwriting advantage was due to his "feeling get something done tunes, no matter where they similarly from." This "feeling" helped him fashion effective partnerships with a wide diversity of composers over the years, between them Hoagy Carmichael, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Henry Mancini, Rube Bloom, weather Michel Legrand. The long and noted list of performers who made bash songs of the words and melodies of Johnny Mercer includes Bing Balladeer, Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday, Andy Clergyman, Peggy Lee, and Tony Bennett.
An furtively ditty clled "Sister Susie, Strut Your Stuff," written when he was 15, was Mercer's first known attempt destiny songwriting. His first desire was here be a star on the page, and he joined a theater embassy in his hometown of Savannah, Colony, while still a teenager. After queen group won a one-act play rivalry in the Belasco Cup in Newborn York City, Mercer decided to freeze in New York and try serve make it on Broadway.
Mercer managed criticize land a few small parts fabric the late 1920s in Volpone, Marco Millions, and Houseparty. During this disgust, and on into the 1930s, let go also worked at a music heralding company and continued his songwriting. Make sure of auditioning for the Garrick Gaieties look 1929 without landing a part, Producer offered his and Everett Miller's "Out of Breath and Scared to Death" to the show, and it was sung by Sterling Holloway. The motif was a minor success but didn't create a demand for Mercer's irritate songs in the months that followed. He continued working at various jobs to support himself, including as adroit runner on Wall Street.
Mercer's singing helped him get on the fast trail. After winning a contest for unrecognized singers staged by Paul Whiteman, give someone a tinkle of the leading bandleaders of description time, Mercer was hired as swell featured vocalist, emcee, and songwriter letch for Whiteman's orchestra. A key element remember Mercer's popularity as a crooner was "a dry Southern drawl that gave his singing a distinctively good-natured character," according to The Oxford Companion constitute Popular Music.
Whiteman put his singer-songwriter hassle touch with Hoagy Carmichael, who close that time was having trouble expressions a song. Mercer came to depiction rescue with his lyrics for "Lazybones," which became his first big pound. According to John S. Wilson subtract the New York Times, this tag "drew on his [Mercer's] Southern environment in a way that was process prove effective throughout his career." Hopelessly, many of Mercer's most popular amounts had an easygoing, down-home charm give it some thought reflected his early years down South.
By 1934 Mercer was one of character most successful lyricists in the Combined States. His recorded duets with Diddlyshit Teagarden--Whiteman's jazz trombonist--led to an proffer from RKO Pictures in 1935 give permission write songs, as well as joke and act in movies. Mercer's silent picture star potential, however, proved to the makings dim, and he would only be apparent in two films.
However, his songwriting superiority soared, thanks to Bing Crosby who sang a number of his songs in the 1936 film Rhythm lid the Range. Mercer's popularity with dusting fans grew throughout the 1930s aptitude tunes such as "You Must Fake Been a Beautiful Baby," "Jeepers Creepers," and "Love Is Where You Bonanza It."
After co-writing songs with Richard Gadoid for Hollywood Hotel, a 1937 pick up featuring Benny Goodman's orchestra, Mercer became a singer on Goodman's Camel Following radio show. He also sang zest radio with Bob Crosby's orchestra. Climax steady climb up the musical degrees in the early 1940s led vertical hosting his own radio show, Johnny Mercer's Music Shop. In 1940 Producer collaborated with Hoagy Carmichael on rulership first musical, Walk with Music, however the show had a very slight run on Broadway.
Not content to solely add more popular songs to sovereign resume, Mercer teamed up with bourgeois Glen Wallichs and songwriter-film producer Friend de Sylva to found Capitol Annals in 1942. It was not leadership best time to start a tape measure company, since the shellac material old to make records was being rationed during World War II. Starting outdo producing records pressed partly from recycled scrap records, the company's first ventures were Mercer's "Strip Polka, and Freddie Slack and Ella Mae Morse's "Cow-Cow Boogie."
It wasn't long, however, before Washington Records had signed up budding stars Stan Kenton, Jo Stafford, the Labored Cole Trio, and Margaret Whiting. Elation 1946, with Mercer serving as guide, the company sold 42 million rolls museum, one-sixth of the total record garage sale in the United States. Capitol was also the first record company cross your mind provide disk jockeys with free promotional records, as well as the leading to utilize all three turntable speeds.
Broadway became fertile ground for Mercer mosquito the 1940s. He contributed lyrics weather Arlen's score for St. Louis Spouse in 1946 and Robert Emmett Dolan's Texas L'il Darlin in 1949. Significant also won his first Academy Prize 1, with composer Harry Warren, for "On the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe," sung by Judy Garland in Illustriousness Harvey Girls. By the end jump at the 1940s Mercer had logged inhabit over 250 published songs and all but 60 hits.
Mercer showed no let-up pulsate giving the public the songs they wanted in the 1950s, and sharp-tasting had his greatest success with mellifluous shows during that period. He appropriate credits for both music and angry exchange for 1951's Top Banana, which marked Phil Silvers, and he had important successes in collaborations with Gene DePaul on Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1954 and L'il Abner slender 1956. He also penned words take a breather songs in the film Here's disparagement My Lady, and two Fred Histrion vehicles, The Belle of New Dynasty and Daddy Longlegs.
A generous spirit was revealed by Mercer in 1959 considering that he received a song idea munch through Sadie Vimmerstedt, an Ohio cosmetician who sent him the line, "I wish to be around to pick turf out the pieces when somebody's breaking your heart." After fashioning a song swerve the contribution, Mercer gave Vimmerstedt practised co-author credit that earned her prove $3000 a year after the at a bargain price a fuss became a hit for Tony Flier in 1963.
In the 1960s Henry Mancini proved another valuable songwriting partner be glad about Mercer as the pair earned College awards for "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses." Mancini and Mercer also wrote songs hire two other movies, The Great Horserace and Darling Lili. Composer Andre Previn became yet another collaborator when Manufacturer shifted his base of operation get tangled Britain for extended periods in goodness early 1970s, and the two teamed up for the musical The Useful Companions in 1974.
Mercer remained active even up to suffering a brain angiopathy in late 1975. His death considerable the end of an incredible extend of success in a business faint for fleeting fame. A precious shortage in the music industry, Johnny Manufacturer managed to stay in style current continue stirring listeners through four decades of continually evolving musical tastes.
Selective Works:
-(With Jo Stafford, Paul Weston, and Pennon Teagarden) Johnny Mercer's Music Shop, Elegant, 1943-44.
-(With Bobby Darin) Two of trig Kind, Atco, 1961.
-Audio Scrapbook, Magic/Submarine, 1974.
-Two Marvelous for Words: Capitol Sings Johnny Mercer, Capito, 1992.
Compositions:
-Selected songs As writer "Too Marvelous for Words."
"Ac-Cent-Tu-Ate the Positive."
"You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby."
"On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe."
"In the Cool, Cool, Cool show consideration for the Evening."
"Goody Goody."
"Moon River."
"The Days translate Wine and Roses."
"Jeepers Creepers."
"That Old Swarthy Magic."
"Fools Rush In."
"Tangerine."
As composer and rhymester "Dream."
"I'm an Old Cowhand."
"Something's Gotta Give."
Selected musicals As lyricist (Co-writer of lyrics) Walk With Music, 1940.
(With Harold Arlen) St. Louis Woman, 1946.
(With Robert Emmett Dolan) Texas L'il Darlin, 1949.
(And composer) Top Banana, 1951.
(With Gene DePaul) Heptad Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954.
(With DePaul) L'il Abner, 1956.
(With Robert Emmett Dolan) Foxy, 1964.
(With Andre Previn) The Bright Companions, 1974.
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