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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.

Birth and Death Data: Born November 18, 1909 (Savannah), Died June 25, 1976 (Hollywood)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1929 - 1967

Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist, songwriter, vocalist, composer, author

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings (Results 151-175 of 291 records)

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor BS-043877 10-in. 11/20/1939 Holy smoke (Can't ya take a joke?) Blue Barron ; Charlie Fischer Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-043957 10-in. 12/5/1939 Blue rain Walter Gross ; Bea Wain Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor BS-043976 10-in. 12/6/1939 Ooh! What you said Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-043998 10-in. 12/15/1939 Holy smoke (Can't ya take a joke?) Delta Rhythm Band ; Gus Ehrman ; Bob Zurke Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor MBS-045118 10-in. before 2/27/1940 Echále ojo Magos del Ritmo ; Paco Treviño Instrumental ensemble songwriter  
Victor BS-046016 10-in. 12/19/1939 Ooh! What you said Hal Kemp Orchestra ; Smoothies Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal ensemble lyricist  
Victor BS-046017 10-in. 12/19/1939 'Way back in 1939 A.D. Bob Allen ; Hal Kemp Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-046092 10-in. 1/9/1940 Way back in 1939 Gray Gordon ; Cliff Grass ; Tic-Toc Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-046728 10-in. 1/26/1940 The rumba jumps! Tex Beneke ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton Jazz/dance band, with female-male vocal duet lyricist  
Victor BS-047022 10-in. 2/7/1940 I walk with music Bob Chester Orchestra ; Dolores O'Neill Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-048480 10-in. 3/29/1940 Fools rush in (Where angels fear to tread) Frank Sinatra ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-048489 10-in. 3/31/1940 Fools rush in (where angels fear to tread) Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-048944 10-in. 4/24/1940 Fools rush in (Where angels fear to tread) Shirley Howard Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor BS-048967 10-in. 4/28/1940 Mister Meadowlark Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Jack Lathrop Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor PBS-049689 10-in. 5/13/1940 Mister Meadowlark Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Jack Pearce Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-050565 10-in. 5/13/1940 On behalf of the visiting firemen Four King Sisters ; Alvino Rey Female vocal quartet, with jazz/dance band lyricist  
Victor PBS-055095 10-in. 10/7/1940 Love of my life Artie Shaw Orchestra ; Anita Boyer Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor PBS-055219 10-in. 12/11/1940 You're the one (For me) Janet Blair ; Hal Kemp Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-056134 10-in. 9/17/1940 You've got me this way The Pied Pipers ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal ensemble lyricist  
Victor BS-056135 10-in. 9/17/1940 I'd know you anywhere Frank Sinatra ; Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-056480 10-in. 10/11/1940 You've got me this way Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Marion Hutton Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-056482 10-in. 10/11/1940 I'd know you anywhere Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-056728 10-in. 10/8/1940 I've got a one track mind Dorothy Allen ; Shep Fields ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo lyricist  
Victor BS-056729 10-in. 10/8/1940 The bad humor man Shep Fields ; Rippling Rhythm Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with mixed vocal trio lyricist  
Victor BS-057098 10-in. 11/7/1940 You're the one (for me) Tony Pastor Orchestra Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo lyricist  
(Results 151-175 of 291 records)

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Mercer, Johnny," accessed October 31, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103688.

Mercer, Johnny. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved October 31, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103688.

"Mercer, Johnny." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 31 October 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/103688

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