Johnny Mercer
John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallichs. He is best known as a Tin Pan Alley lyricist, but he also composed music, and was a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as songs written by others from the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s. Mercer's songs were among the most successful hits of the time, including "Moon River", "Days of Wine and Roses", "Autumn Leaves", and "Hooray for Hollywood". He wrote the lyrics to more than 1,500 songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Oscar nominations, and won four Best Original Song Oscars. |
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 251-275 of 291 records)
Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Columbia | W152420 | 10-in. | 6/22/1933 | Lazybones | Ted Lewis and his Band | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | W152495 | 10-in. | 9/12/1933 | Life's so complete | Joe Green Novelty Orchestra ; Harold van Emburgh | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
Columbia | W152575 | 10-in. | 12/4/1933 | Riffin' the Scotch | Benny Goodman Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | songwriter | |
Columbia | W152613 | 10-in. | 6/4/1934 | Fool that I am | Dot, Kay and Em ; Henry Busse Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal trio | lyricist | |
Columbia | W152650 | 10-in. | 12/18/1933 | Riffin' the scotch | Benny Goodman Orchestra ; Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Columbia | W152656 | 10-in. | 12/20/1933 | You have taken my heart | Freddie Rich and his Orchestra ; Phil Regan | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | W152718 | 10-in. | 2/23/1934 | Fare-thee-well to Harlem | Benny Morton Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | 32406 | 10-in. | 2/10/1942 | Mandy is two | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Columbia | CO44683 | 10-in. | 11/30/1950 | Autumn leaves | Robert Chauvigny ; Edith Piaf | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | lyricist | |
OKeh | W404432 | 10-in. | 9/6/1930 | Out of breath (And scared to death of you) | The Four New Yorkers ; Joe Venuti | Jazz/ dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E33289 | 10-in. | June 1930 | Out of breath (And scared to death of you) | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | E33429 | 10-in. | 7/14/1930 | Out of breath (And scared to death of you) | Colonial Club Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | lyricist | |
Brunswick | B18199 | 10-in. | 10/25/1935 | Eeny meeny miney mo | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Brunswick | B18209 | 10-in. | 10/31/1935 | If you were mine | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Brunswick | B20700 | 10-in. | 2/18/1937 | Sentimental and melancholy | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | songwriter | |
Brunswick | B23687 | 10-in. | 11/09/1938 | Say it with a kiss | Billie Holiday ; Teddy Wilson Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Victor (Canada) | 8915-2D | 10-in. | before 4/4/1942 | Captains of the clouds (Official song of the Royal Canadian Air Force) | Mart Kenney Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with vocal ensemble | lyricist | |
Vocalion | 22284 | 10-in. | 1/12/1938 | When a woman loves a man | Billie Holiday | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | lyricist | |
Decca | 38417 | 10-in. | 8/24/1934 | Lord, I give you my children | Johnny Mercer | vocalist | ||
Decca | 38418 | 10-in. | 8/24/1934 | If I could only read your mind | Johnny Mercer | vocalist | ||
Decca | 38419 | 10-in. | 8/24/1934 | The bathtub ran over again | Johnny Mercer | vocalist | ||
Decca | 75620 | 12/22/1949 | Texas, li'l darlin' | Kenny Delmar | lyricist | |||
Decca | 75621 | 12/22/1949 | Hootin' owl trail | Danny Scholl | lyricist | |||
Decca | 75622 | 12/22/1949 | The big movie show in the sky | Danny Scholl | lyricist | |||
Decca | 75623 | 12/22/1949 | Reprise : The yodel blues | Kenny Delmar | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mercer, Johnny," accessed November 25, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103688.
Mercer, Johnny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 25, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103688.
"Mercer, Johnny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 25 November 2024.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Johnny Mercer
Discogs: Johnny Mercer
Allmusic: Johnny Mercer
Apple Music: Johnny Mercer
Grove: Johnny Mercer
IMDb: Johnny Mercer
Britannica: Johnny Mercer
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Mercer, Johnny, 1909-1976 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n82078485
Wikidata: Johnny Mercer - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q363698
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/79167222
MusicBrainz: Johnny Mercer - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/b342d50e-401c-4c77-b7e4-2b3e7beaf00a
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