John Darcy's Influence On Society

During what many would consider to be the golden age of American popular music, many songs were being written by immigrants or first generation Americans growing up in cities at the turn of the twentieth century. However, one of the most notable of these writers came from the southern United States. His southern background would influence his music throughout his entire career. His ability to incorporate images of nature into his songs, discuss love and the value of family and write songs that sound conversational would set him apart from other writers of the time and make him one of the greatest music composers of all time. John Herndon Mercer was born into a wealthy family in Savannah Georgia on November 18, 1909 (“Johnny Mercer”). His
family’s connections allowed him to be exposed to the many musical cultures that the city offered. As a child he attended the theater, film screenings, concerts, and minstrel shows. He was also introduced to folk culture and heard his father sing early 20th century standards. (Eskew). After his father's attorney business collapsed, seventeen-year-old John, no longer able to attend college, moved to New York with dreams of becoming an actor. After a few small parts in performances, Mercer received his first big break in 1930 when he published his first lyric “Out of Breath (and Scared to Death of You), for the Broadway show The Garrick Gaieties. (“Johnny Mercer”). It was this show where he met Ginger Meehan whom he would remain married to for the rest of his life (Eskew). Two years later, Mercer won a singing contest arranged by the big band leader Paul Whiteman. Winning this contest earned Mercer a job singing in Whiteman's band, and it was at this time Whiteman introduced Mercer to Hoagy Carmichael. Mercer and Carmichael soon collaborated on the 1933 hit “Lazybones.” After the success of this song, people began to take notice of Mercer's talent and his lyrical career took off (“Johnny Mercer”). When Mercer moved to Hollywood, he was presented with multiple music opportunities. He
Mosley 2 was providing lyrics for many studios including Warner Brothers, MGM, and RKO. He was also collaborating with some of the greatest composers of that time. He worked with Jerome Kern on “I'm Old Fashioned,” Richard Whiting on “Too Marvelous for words,” and Jimmy Van Heusen on “I Thought About You.” In addition to this, he was writing for big bands including Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey. He also found work writing for actors such as Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. (Eskew). By the early 1940s, Mercer's popularity earned him his own radio show Johnny Mercer's Music Shop (“Johnny Mercer”). When the U.S.
entered World War II, Mercer found work writing in propaganda movies . He was involved in such films as The Fleet's In and Star Spangled Rhythm. These films included several hits by Mercer such as "I Remember You" and "That Old Black Magic". These songs were still played even after the war and are still popular among lounge singers today (Eskew). In 1942, Mercer along with movie business executive Buddy De Sylva and Glen Wallichs, a music store owner, founded Capitol Records, with Mercer as President and main talent scout. He is responsible for signing artists such as Nat King Cole, Jo Stafford, and Stan Kenton. By 1946, one-sixth of all records sold in the United States came from Capitol
Records. After his success in Hollywood and the prosperity of his record company, Mercer decided to try his hand at Broadway. He, along with Harold Arlen, wrote the musical St. Louis Woman. They revived this Harlem Renaissance play into an all black show. While this show did not have great success it did include several hits that Mercer composed such as "I Wonder What Became Of Me" and "Come Rain Or Come Shine"(“Johnny Mercer”). Despite the failure of his attempts at Broadway, Mercer still had many achievements writing for other productions. In 1946, he won his first Academy Award for the song "On The Atchison, Topeka, And Santa Fe" from the movie The Harvey Girls (Eskew). He wrote “Two of a Kind” for Bobby Darin and “Laura” for David Raksin. However, like many writers of his day, Mercer saw his music being pushed to the side to make room for rock n' roll. His falling career
Mosley 3 was revived, though, when he was asked to write a song for the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's.
(Lunden) Mercer provided the lyrics while Henry Mancini wrote the music. The result was “Moon River” which won Mercer and Mancini an Academy Award for best movie song (Cryer). Mercer's career being overshadowed by the new, popular music of the day is apparent in some of his later compositions. Songs such as “Summer Wind” that was a hit for Frank Sinatra and the song "When the World Was Young" both have lyrics that express nostalgia (Eskew). In his later years Mercer continued to have successes. In 1969, his skills as a business man helped him to begin the Songwriters Hall of Fame where he became the president (“Johnny Mercer”). Mercer was later diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent surgery for it. However, he never completely recovered. Johnny Mercer died on June 25, 1976. In 1995, it was declared that April 19, 1995 would be Johnny Mercer day in the state of Georgia. In 1971, Mercer was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and, in 1980, he was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame (Eskew). Mercer' music is still heard today although many may not realize it. The Academy Awards open every year to “Hooray for Hollywood,” which Mercer helped compose. His music also continues to be featured on numerous television programs and
movies. Oscar Hammerstein called Johnny Mercer, “the most perfect American lyricist alive. American. Pure American” (Furia 2). Mercer was a poet with an amazing ability to write what he heard. Whether it was the sound of a train on a railroad track, the sound of the wind on a summer's day or a certain way people pronounced a word, Johnny Mercer's music sounded as if you were listening to something familiar. His eighteen Academy Award nominations and four wins are enough to prove his impeccable talent. His skills in the business world helped the careers of many other artists we consider legends. Mercer's career as a singer gave him advantage that other writers did not have. He could see a song from the perspective of a writer as well as a performer. Mercer's versatility and poetic abilities have sealed his place as a music legend.