Advertisement
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Skylark Philip Furia, 2004-12-09 Skylark is the story of the tormented but glorious life and career of Johnny Mercer, and the first biography of this enormously popular and influential lyricist. Raised in Savannah, Mercer brought a quintessentially southern style to both his life in New York and to his lyrics, which often evoked the landscapes and mood of his youth (Moon River, In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening). Mercer also absorbed the music of southern blacks--the lullabies his nurse sang to him as a baby and the spirituals that poured out of Savannah's churches-and that cool smooth lyrical style informed some of his greatest songs, such as That Old Black Magic. Part of a golden guild whose members included Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, Mercer took Hollywood by storm in the midst of the Great Depression. Putting words to some of the most famous tunes of the time, he wrote one hit after another, from You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby to Jeepers Creepers and Hooray for Hollywood. But it was also in Hollywood that Mercer's dark underside emerged. Sober, he was a kind, generous and at times even noble southern gentleman; when he drank, Mercer tore into friends and strangers alike with vicious abuse. Mercer's wife Ginger, whom he'd bested Bing Crosby to win, suffered the cruelest attacks; Mercer would even improvise cutting lyrics about her at parties. During World War II, Mercer served as Americas's troubadour, turning out such uplifting songs as My Shining Hour and Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive. He also helped create Capitol Records, the first major West Coast recording company, where he discovered many talented singers, including Peggy Lee and Nat King Cole. During this period, he also began an intense affair with Judy Garland, which rekindled time and again for the rest of their lives. Although they never found happiness together, Garland became Mercer's muse and inspired some of his most sensuous and heartbreaking lyrics: Blues in the Night, One for My Baby, and Come Rain or Come Shine. Mercer amassed a catalog of over a thousand songs and during some years had a song in the Top Ten every week of the year--the songwriting equivalent of Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak--but was plagued by a sense of failure and bitterness over the big Broadway hit that seemed forever out of reach. Based on scores of interviews with friends, family and colleagues, and drawing extensively on Johnny Mercer's letters, papers and his unpublished autobiography, Skylark is an important book about one of the great and dramatic characters in 20th century popular music. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Portrait of Johnny Gene Lees, 2009-08-19 An intimate biography of the great songwriter, this is also a deeply affectionate memoir by one of Johnny Mercer’s best friends. “Moon River,” “Laura,” “Skylark,” ”That Old Black Magic,” “One for My Baby,” “Accentuate the Positive,” “Satin Doll,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “Something’s Gotta Give”—the honor roll of Mercer’s songs is endless. Both Oscar Hammerstein II and Alan Jay Lerner called him the greatest lyricist in the English language, and he was perhaps the best-loved and certainly the best-known songwriter of his generation. But Mercer was also a complicated and private man. A scion of an important Savannah family that had lost its fortune, he became a successful Hollywood songwriter (his primary partners included Harold Arlen and Jerome Kern), a hit recording artist, and, as co-founder of Capitol Records, a successful businessman, but he remained forever nostalgic for his idealized childhood (with his “huckleberry friend”). A gentleman, a nasty drunk, funny, tender, melancholic, tormented—Mercer was a man immensely talented yet plagued by self-doubt, much admired and loved but never really understood. In music historian and songwriter Gene Lees, Mercer has his perfect biographer, who deals tactfully but directly with Mercer’s complicated relationships with his domineering mother; his tormenting wife, Ginger; and Judy Garland, who was the great love of his life. Lees’s highly personal examination of Mercer’s life is sensitive as only the work of a friend of many years could be to the conflicts in Mercer’s nature. And it is filled with insights into Mercer’s work that could come only from a fellow lyricist (whose own lyrics were much admired by Mercer). A poignant, candid, revelatory portrait of Johnny. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Johnny Mercer Glenn T. Eskew, 2013-11-15 John Herndon “Johnny” Mercer (1909–76) remained in the forefront of American popular music from the 1930s through the 1960s, writing over a thousand songs, collaborating with all the great popular composers and jazz musicians of his day, working in Hollywood and on Broadway, and as cofounder of Capitol Records, helping to promote the careers of Nat “King” Cole, Margaret Whiting, Peggy Lee, and many other singers. Mercer’s songs—sung by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, and scores of other performers—are canonical parts of the great American songbook. Four of his songs received Academy Awards: “Moon River,” “Days of Wine and Roses,” “On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe,” and “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening.” Mercer standards such as “Hooray for Hollywood” and “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” remain in the popular imagination. Exhaustively researched, Glenn T. Eskew’s biography improves upon earlier popular treatments of the Savannah, Georgia–born songwriter to produce a sophisticated, insightful, evenhanded examination of one of America’s most popular and successful chart-toppers. Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World provides a compelling chronological narrative that places Mercer within a larger framework of diaspora entertainers who spread a southern multiracial culture across the nation and around the world. Eskew contends that Mercer and much of his music remained rooted in his native South, being deeply influenced by the folk music of coastal Georgia and the blues and jazz recordings made by black and white musicians. At Capitol Records, Mercer helped redirect American popular music by commodifying these formerly distinctive regional sounds into popular music. When rock ’n’ roll diminished opportunities at home, Mercer looked abroad, collaborating with international composers to create transnational songs. At heart, Eskew says, Mercer was a jazz musician rather than a Tin Pan Alley lyricist, and the interpenetration of jazz and popular song that he created expressed elements of his southern heritage that made his work distinctive and consistently kept his music before an approving audience. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers Will Friedwald, 2010 An extensive biographical and critical survey of more than 300 jazz and popular singers is comprised of provocative, opinionated essays that incorporate the views of peers, fans and critics while assessing key movements and genres. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1996-05-04 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Best Songs of the Movies John Funnell, 2005-07-28 In the 25 years covered by this book, 160 songs were nominated for Academy Awards. Some are well known, but many are nearly forgotten. Stories behind all these songs, year by year. The text describes the way each song was presented and performed, critiques the lyrics and melody, and provides appropriate historical and biographical insights--Provided by publisher. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Encyclopedia of Great Popular Song Recordings Steve Sullivan, 2017-05-17 This masterful survey covers all genres of popular music, from pop, rock, soul, and country to jazz, blues, classic vocals, hip-hop, folk, gospel, and ethnic/world music. Collectors will find detailed discographical data while music lovers will appreciate the detailed commentaries and deep research on the songs, their recording, and the artists. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: That's Entertainment Tighe E. Zimmers, 2021-05-19 Arthur Schwartz (1900-1984), a premier composer of American Popular Song during the mid-20th century, has been overlooked by historians. This first full-length biography covers his work on Broadway and in Hollywood, where he was known as the master of the intimate revue for his songs in the 1930s with Howard Dietz. Schwartz wrote music for films in the 1940s--with Academy Award nominations for They're Either Too Young or Too Old and A Gal in Calico--produced two popular movie musicals--Cover Girl and Night and Day--and was among the first songwriters to work in the new medium of television. The author describes his creative process and includes behind-the-scenes stories of each of his major musicals. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Top Popular Music of the Early 20th Century: 1900 - 1949 -- Rankings, Artists & Links Wayne Cottrell, 2019-04-13 This book features by-decade rankings of music singles and albums, in six different genres, covering the first half of the 20th century. The decade of the 1890s is also included. The rankings pertain to U.S. music charts, wherein a typical week's chart would be based on sales, radio airplays, jukebox plays, and-or a combination of one or more of these. The genres include children's, classical, country, instrumental, popular, and rhythm & blues music. Short biographies on a selection of artists are located throughout the book. The artists index includes some vital statistics. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Hit Songs, 1900-1955 Don Tyler, 2007-04-16 This is a chronology of the most famous songs from the years before rock 'n' roll. The top hits for each year are described, including vital information such as song origin, artist(s), and chart information. For many songs, the author includes any web or library holdings of sheet music covers, musical scores, and free audio files. An extensive collection of biographical sketches follows, providing performing credits, relevant professional awards, and brief biographies for hundreds of the era's most popular performers, lyricists, and composers. Includes an alphabetical song index and bibliography. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Music in American Life Jacqueline Edmondson, 2013-10-03 A fascinating exploration of the relationship between American culture and music as defined by musicians, scholars, and critics from around the world. Music has been the cornerstone of popular culture in the United States since the beginning of our nation's history. From early immigrants sharing the sounds of their native lands to contemporary artists performing benefit concerts for social causes, our country's musical expressions reflect where we, as a people, have been, as well as our hope for the future. This four-volume encyclopedia examines music's influence on contemporary American life, tracing historical connections over time. Music in American Life: An Encyclopedia of the Songs, Styles, Stars, and Stories That Shaped Our Culture demonstrates the symbiotic relationship between this art form and our society. Entries include singers, composers, lyricists, songs, musical genres, places, instruments, technologies, music in films, music in political realms, and music shows on television. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: 1,000 UK Number One Hits Jon Kutner, Spencer Leigh, 2010-05-26 The official UK charts started in November 1952 with Al Martin's Here's In My Heart at the top. Since then, there have been over 50 years of changes and we have now reached the 1,000 number one. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Historical Dictionary of Popular Music Norman Abjorensen, 2017-05-25 The Historical Dictionary of Popular Music contains a chronology, an introduction, an appendix, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 1000 cross-referenced entries on major figures across genres, definitions of genres, technical innovations and surveys of countries and regions. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1953-08-29 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series , 1967 The record of each copyright registration listed in the Catalog includes a description of the work copyrighted and data relating to the copyright claim (the name of the copyright claimant as given in the application for registration, the copyright date, the copyright registration number, etc.). |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Reinventing Dixie John Bush Jones, 2015-03-16 Tin Pan Alley, once New York City’s songwriting and recording mecca, issued more than a thousand songs about the American South in the first half of the twentieth century. In Reinventing Dixie, John Bush Jones explores the broad impact of these songs in creating and disseminating the imaginary view of the South as a land of southern belles, gallant gentlemen, and racial harmony. In profiles of Tin Pan Alley’s lyricists and composers, Jones explains how a group of undereducated and untraveled writers—the vast majority of whom were urban northerners or European immigrants— constructed the specific and detailed images of the South used in their song lyrics. In the process of evaluating the origins of Tin Pan Alley’s songbook, Jones analyzes these songwriters’ attitudes about North-South reconciliation, ideals of honor and hospitality, and the recurring theme of the yearning for home. Though a few of the songs employed parody or satire to undercut the vision of a peaceful, romantic South, the majority ignored the realities of racism and poverty in the region. By the end of Tin Pan Alley’s era of cultural prominence in the mid-twentieth century, Jones contends that the work of its writers had cemented the “moonlight and magnolias” myth in the minds of millions of Americans. Reinventing Dixie sheds light on the role of songwriters in forming an idyllic vision of the South that continues to influence the American imagination. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1952-10-18 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1955-07-02 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: The Beatles Are the Greatest Rock Band of All Time and I Can Prove It Riley Haas, 2013-09-13 Who is the greatest band in rock history? This book argues that it's the Beatles. Don't think so? Well, read and find out. This is as thorough an examination of the Beatles music in context as you will find. If you are skeptical of the Beatles greatness, read this book and you will be skeptical no longer: this is an iron clad argument about the most seminal of rock bands. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: The Seventh Stream Philip H. Ennis, 1992-12 A cultural and social study of the origins and evolution of “rocknroll”. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Music Makes Me Todd Decker, 2011-05-25 Fred Astaire is best known for his brilliant dancing in the movie musicals of the 1930s, but in Music Makes Me, Todd Decker argues that Astaire's work as a dancer and choreographer, particularly in the realm of tap dancing, made a significant contribution to the art of jazz. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Rock Song Index Bruce Pollock, 2014-03-18 The Rock Song Index, Second Edition, is a new version of a well-received index to the classic songs of the rock canon, from the late '40s through the end of the 20th century. The study of the history of rock music has exploded over the last decade; all college music departments offer a basic rock-history course, covering the classic artists and their songs. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1998-07-04 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 2011-10-01 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1948-10-30 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1948-07-31 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 2011-04-02 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Goldmine Record Album Price Guide Dave Thompson, 2019-04-02 Just like you, Goldmine is passionate about vinyl. It rocks our world. So trust us when we say that the Goldmine Record Album Price Guide is a vinyl collector's best friend. Inside these pages you'll find the latest pricing and identification information for rock, pop, alternative, jazz and country albums valued at $10 or more. And that's just for starters. Goldmine Record Album Price Guide features: • Updated prices for more than 100,000 American vinyl LPs released since 1948. • A detailed explanation of the Goldmine Grading Guide, the industry standard. • Tips to help you accurately grade and value your records--including promo pressings. • An easy-to-use, well-organized format. Whether you're new to the scene or a veteran collector, Goldmine Record Album Price Guide is here to help! |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: World War II and the Postwar Years in America William H. Young, Nancy K. Young, 2010-09-17 More than 150 articles provide a revealing look at one of the most tempestuous decades in recent American history, describing the everyday activities of Americans as they dealt first with war, and then a difficult transition to peace and prosperity. The two-volume World War II and the Postwar Years in America: A Historical and Cultural Encyclopedia contains over 175 articles describing everyday life on the American home front during World War II and the immediate postwar years. Unlike publications about this period that focus mainly on the big picture of the war and subsequent economic conditions, this encyclopedia drills down to the popular culture of the 1940s, bringing the details of the lives of ordinary men, women, and children alive. The work covers a broad range of everyday activities throughout the 1940s, including movies, radio programming, music, the birth of commercial television, advertising, art, bestsellers, and other equally intriguing topics. The decade was divided almost evenly between war (1940-1945) and peace (1946-1950), and the articles point up the continuities and differences between these two periods. Filled with evocative photographs, this unique encyclopedia will serve as an excellent resource for those seeking an overview of life in the United States during a decade that helped shape the modern world. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1945-05-19 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Rock and Roll Fantasy? Ronnie Phillips,, 2012-11-19 We are in an era where developments in both technology and musical style have coalesced to produce the greatest period of change in the music industry since the invention of recorded sound. Globalization, the Internet, and digital technology are now opening up possibilities for more artists to be innovative and financially successful. But new music requires new ways of doing business. For more artists to be better off requires new business models to replace those that dominated the 20th century. Integrating insights from economics, management, and intellectual property law, the author explores the dynamics of entrepreneurship and innovation in the music industry, and offers such provocative assessments as these: · The Beatles might never have broken up if they had the kind of two-tier contracts – as band members and as solo artists – that are common in the music industry today. · Buddy Holly would likely have avoided his tragic death in a plane crash at age 22 if his 1959 tour had been sponsored by a company like Coca Cola because today’s corporatized tours are vastly better financed and organized than the haphazard efforts of the 1950s. · The economic value of albums by the likes of Elvis and Michael Jackson has risen significantly since their deaths – the ironic byproduct of the way their behavior tarnished their own brands while they were alive. · Diana Ross might never have quit The Supremes if she had known that one-third of the artists in the 1960s who quit the group had charting careers of only one year. · Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph led to the modern record industry, but he is really the godfather of computer programs like Garageband which have created home recording studios. The collapse of the Soviet Union threatened the sound of rock and roll but an American entrepreneur saved the day. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: All Music Guide Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, 2001 Arranged in sixteen musical categories, provides entries for twenty thousand releases from four thousand artists, and includes a history of each musical genre. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1955-02-19 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: WTIU. , 1997 |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 2004-05-01 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Catalog of Copyright Entries Library of Congress. Copyright Office, 1967 |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1951-01-13 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 1942-10-10 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: Billboard , 2002-01-26 In its 114th year, Billboard remains the world's premier weekly music publication and a diverse digital, events, brand, content and data licensing platform. Billboard publishes the most trusted charts and offers unrivaled reporting about the latest music, video, gaming, media, digital and mobile entertainment issues and trends. |
| top 10 johnny mercer songs: The New Rolling Stone Album Guide Nathan Brackett, Christian David Hoard, 2004 Publisher Description |
Student Log In | Top Hat
Students - discover how Top Hat can improve your experience in the classroom and beyond. Log in or join your Top Hat course now!
Top Hat
Log in to Top Hat to access dynamic courseware and enhance your learning experience.
Login - Top Hat
Visit www.Tophat.com; Use our Platform; Contact Support; Username. Password
Build Your Ultimate Course | Top Hat
Choose from thousands of textbooks and course materials in the Top Hat Catalog, and collaborate in a unique community of educators
The Top Hat Catalog
Apr 10, 2025 · The Top Hat Catalog contains 2500+ interactive textbooks and materials created by, and for educators like yourself. Access high-quality textbooks and course materials …
Sign Up | Top Hat
Sign up for Top Hat to access your course and enhance your learning experience.
Top Hat
Top Hat is an interactive platform for students and educators to access engaging course materials, assignments, and resources.
Getting Started for Bookstore Redemptions - Top Hat
Enrolling in your class with Top Hat takes a few minutes. Here are a few steps to get you on your way.
Single Sign-On (SSO) - Top Hat
Mar 19, 2025 · If your Top Hat account is linked to your school’s SSO, reset your password through your school’s login system. School Email Change. If your school email changes, Top …
Student: Top Hat Classroom
Apr 16, 2025 · Top Hat Classroom is the learning space in which presented class content is displayed. Presented content may contain correctness and participation points, if no …
Student Log In | Top Hat
Students - discover how Top Hat can improve your experience in the classroom and beyond. Log in or join your Top Hat course now!
Top Hat
Log in to Top Hat to access dynamic courseware and enhance your learning experience.
Login - Top Hat
Visit www.Tophat.com; Use our Platform; Contact Support; Username. Password
Build Your Ultimate Course | Top Hat
Choose from thousands of textbooks and course materials in the Top Hat Catalog, and collaborate in a unique community of educators
The Top Hat Catalog
Apr 10, 2025 · The Top Hat Catalog contains 2500+ interactive textbooks and materials created by, and for educators like yourself. Access high-quality textbooks and course materials …
Sign Up | Top Hat
Sign up for Top Hat to access your course and enhance your learning experience.
Top Hat
Top Hat is an interactive platform for students and educators to access engaging course materials, assignments, and resources.
Getting Started for Bookstore Redemptions - Top Hat
Enrolling in your class with Top Hat takes a few minutes. Here are a few steps to get you on your way.
Single Sign-On (SSO) - Top Hat
Mar 19, 2025 · If your Top Hat account is linked to your school’s SSO, reset your password through your school’s login system. School Email Change. If your school email changes, Top …
Student: Top Hat Classroom
Apr 16, 2025 · Top Hat Classroom is the learning space in which presented class content is displayed. Presented content may contain correctness and participation points, if no …
