an introduction to: JOHNNY MERCER award-winning songwriter & lyricist
W H O is Johnny Mercer?
- Full Name: Johnny - John Herndon Mercer Mercer - Born: - November 18, 1909 in Savannah, Georgia - Died: - June 25, 1976 in Beverly Hills, California - Musical Influences: - The scenic countryside, regional African American music, concerts in the park, and local dances. - Career: - Johnny Mercer wrote many popular songs that went to the top of the charts! He also contributed songs to more than 100 movies and 23 theatrical productions!
- Johnny Mercer wrote his first song at the age of 15! It was called “Sister Susie Strut Your - Stuff.” - Say what? Johnny Mercer did not know how to read music?! That’s right! Johnny Mercer wrote - over 1,400 songs without knowing how to actually read music! - Most of his song drafts were written using the letter names of the pitches in the melodies he created! Check Did you Know? out these pictures! - Johnny liked to fit his words to a melody.
JOHNNY’S DRAFTS See how Johnny wrote his songs using the letter names that represent pitches on the piano and other instruments? So cool! Sometimes, his lyric and melody drafts were written on napkins or even … toilet paper!
JOHNNY’S DRAFTS See how Johnny wrote his songs using the letter names that represent pitches on the piano and other instruments? So cool! Sometimes, his lyric and melody drafts were written on napkins or even … toilet paper!
JOHNNY’S DRAFTS See how Johnny wrote his songs using the letter names that represent pitches on the piano and other instruments? So cool! Sometimes, his lyric and melody drafts were written on napkins or even … toilet paper!
Johnny Mercer: ON how he writes words to the music “I feel music like a composer… I understand the music. I know where the accents should come. I don’t mean to sound conceited when I say this, but I’ve often had a lot of good lyrics loudsed up by writing them first because the guy doesn’t understand the meter that I wrote. I’d rather try and catch the mood of his tune.”
Johnny Mercer: ON what it takes to be a collaborator. “ First of all, great talent and integrity, that’s what I like. I like a guy who writes his way and his way is so high that it starts where other guys leave off. They’re all different. Everyone is different. ” Every songwriting team works differently! How interesting that there’s no only one correct way of writing a song!
JOHNNY’S COLLABS Johnny Mercer loved to collaborate with other talented composers, musicians, and other artists. ---------------------- Johnny Mercer composed music for only some of his lyrics. Most of the time, he worked as a lyricist with a composer to write a song!
Awards Johnny Mercer won many and prestigious awards and Accomplishment nominations for his songs! s Including: 4 Academy Awards! 2 Grammy Awards! 2 Golden Globe Awards!
N O W it’s Your Turn! Let’s collaborate and write your own song!
References • Accentuate the Positive Activity Workbook • www.johnnymercer.org • http://library.gsu.edu/mercer • http://research.library.gsu.edu/mer cer
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