ABSTRACT
Composer, lyricist, singer, label executive. Johnny Mercer’s songbook comprises a wealth of standards sung by every jazz singer. Though he got his start as an actor in New York, and published his first (co-written) song in 1930, Mercer’s true career began with a job writing songs for RKO movies in 1935. He was a featured vocalist for Benny Goodman and Paul Whiteman, and hosted a radio show in the 1940s. In 1942, Johnny Mercer cofounded Capitol Records. Mercer’s collaborations are legendary, including Hoagy Carmichael, Michel Legrand, Henry Mancini, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Glenn Miller, and Frank Sinatra. Mercer composed or wrote lyrics for over 1,000 songs, and he won four Academy awards for his film work.
