Biography for
Johnny Mercer More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

18 November 1909, Savannah, Georgia, USA

Date of Death

25 June 1976, Los Angeles, California, USA (brain cancer)

Birth Name

John Herndon Mercer

Mini Biography

Johnny Mercer started his career as singer and songwriter for Paul Whiteman. He started writing songs for Hollywood in 1935, where he also had a few small parts in musicals. Among his famous songs is the inoffical anthem of Hollywood, "Hooray For Hollywood" that he wrote for the movie "Hollywood Hotel". He also had radio programs and made records, some with Bing Crosby.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Stephan Eichenberg <eichenbe@fak-cbg.tu-muenchen.de>

Spouse

Ginger Mehan

(8 June 1931 - 25 June 1976) (his death) 2 children

Trivia

Pictured on one of a set of four 32¢ US commemorative postage stamps in the Legends of American Music series, issued 11 September 1996, celebrating American songwriters. Others honored in this issue are Harold Arlen, Dorothy Fields, and Hoagy Carmichael.

1942: Co-founded Capitol Records with songwriter Buddy G. DeSylva and businessman Glenn Wallichs. Sold out in 1955 to EMI. Mercer used part of the proceeds to repay his father's debts that resulted from the Florida real estate bust and the Great Depression. Mercer and DeSylva also founded Cowboy Records (Philadelphia, PA) in 1942.

One of the legendary figures in the Great American Songbook, his work as a lyricist, and occasionally composer and lyricist, has produced such standards as "Skylark," "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" (music by Hoagy Carmichael), "Blues in the Night," "One For My Baby," "My Shining Hour" (music by Harold Arlen), "Moon River," "Days of Wine and Roses," "Charade," "The Sweetheart Tree," "Moment to Moment," "Whistling in the Dark" (music by Henry Mancini), "On the Acheson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" (music by Harry Warren), "Life Is What You Make It" (music by Marvin Hamlisch), "Jamboree Jones," "Dream," "Something's Gotta Give," and "I Wanna Be Around" (music and lyrics by Mercer).

Graduate of Woodberry Forest School, Orange, Virginia (1927)

Two children, Amanda and John Jeff

Was posthumously nominated for Broadway's 1983 Tony Award for his original lyrics for Gene de Paul's original music and score, with additional, new music and lyrics by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

Best known during WWII for his hit, "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive." Mercer would become the premier American lyricist in post-War America.

His music is featured prominently in the both the book and film: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), which was set in his birthplace Savannah, Georgia.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1971.

He adopted a son, John Jefferson "Jeff" Mercer in 1947. He was born April 5, 1947.

He adopted Norma Claire Barnes in April, 1940 and renamed her Amanda "Mandy" Mercer. She had been born May 12, 1939. Paul Whiteman's wife arranged the adoption.

Circa 1940, he wrecked his car, breaking his wife's jaw. After it healed, it was distorted and made her face appear different.

His grandchildren called him Beebah and called his wife Granginger.

He had an on-off affair with Judy Garland.

His daughter married Bob Corwin, his musical stenographer and accompanist, in 1960.

He had a grandson, Jim Corwin, who was born in 1961.

A non-song writer fan of Mercer's named Sadie Vimmerstedt once wrote him a letter saying that "I Wanna Be Around to Pick Up the Pieces When Somebody Breaks Your Heart" would make a good title for a song. Mercer was so taken by the suggested title that he went ahead and wrote a complete song based on it which became a big hit and of which he gave Ms. Vimmerstedt half the royalties.