SKU: 23189702873

Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World

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Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the WorldJohn Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (1909 76) remained in the forefront of American popular music from the 1930s through the 1960s, writing over a thousand songs, collaborating with all the great popular composers and jazz musicians of his day, working in Hollywood and on Broadway, and as cofounder of Capitol Records, helping to promote the careers of Nat "King" Cole, Margaret Whiting, Peggy Lee, and many other singers. Mercer's songs sung by Bing Crosby,

John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (1909-76) remained in the forefront of American popular music from the 1930s through the 1960s, writing over a thousand songs, collaborating with all the great popular composers and jazz musicians of his day, working in Hollywood and on Broadway, and as cofounder of Capitol Records, helping to promote the careers of Nat "King" Cole, Margaret Whiting, Peggy Lee, and many other singers. Mercer's songs--sung by Bing Crosby, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, and scores of other performers--are canonical parts of the great American songbook. Four of his songs received Academy Awards: "Moon River," "Days of Wine and Roses," "On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe," and "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening." Mercer standards such as "Hooray for Hollywood" and "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" remain in the popular imagination.

Exhaustively researched, Glenn T. Eskew's biography improves upon earlier popular treatments of the Savannah, Georgia-born songwriter to produce a sophisticated, insightful, evenhanded examination of one of America's most popular and successful chart-toppers. Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World provides a compelling chronological narrative that places Mercer within a larger framework of diaspora entertainers who spread a southern multiracial culture across the nation and around the world. Eskew contends that Mercer and much of his music remained rooted in his native South, being deeply influenced by the folk music of coastal Georgia and the blues and jazz recordings made by black and white musicians. At Capitol Records, Mercer helped redirect American popular music by commodifying these formerly distinctive regional sounds into popular music. When rock 'n' roll diminished opportunities at home, Mercer looked abroad, collaborating with international composers to create transnational songs.

At heart, Eskew says, Mercer was a jazz musician rather than a Tin Pan Alley lyricist, and the interpenetration of jazz and popular song that he created expressed elements of his southern heritage that made his work distinctive and consistently kept his music before an approving audience.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Published: 02/01/2016
ISBN: 9780820349732
Pages: 408
Weight: 1.80lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 1.40d
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SKU: 23189702873

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Thyme
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
Another Thanks and Wow by Anne Lamott!
Format: Hardcover
I was first introduced to Anne Lamott's writing about 25 years ago when I read her book, Bird by Bird. It was a book about how to write and from that moment she became one of my favorite authors. Help, Thanks, Wow is a wonderful book that I have underlined and reread over and over again. Her writing has a voice that many of us can relate to. It's honest and you can feel her pain. She writes with humor to balance the good with the bad. Something that is so important to learn as we go through life. Her descriptions help you see, feel, and smell when she describes "autumn...the colors are broccoli and flame and fox fur. The tang is apples. The rot smells faintly of grapes..." She tells us how to ask for help when you can't do it all by yourself, but how important it is to say thank you, thank you, thank you and Wow for all the things you are grateful for. I loved when she wrote about how service to others is joy ,but how important it is to be kind to yourself. One of my favorite passages was this one, "This morning at six when I awoke, loneliness was sitting on my chest like a dental X-ray apron, even though I was buried in hairy dog love. Help, I am sad and lonely, and already it looks like today is going to be too long. I prayed...I did a kindness to myself, as I would have a troubled friend..." Her descriptions are all like this one and easy to relate to. I loved this book and have given it to friends who have then bought it for other friends. It is definitely a WOW!!!!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2014
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SJ
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 3
Not bad, but not my cup of tea
Format: Hardcover
After seeing Anne Lamott on TV, I was impressed with her and checked out this book on Amazon. The reviews were good, so I ordered it. I was a bit disappointed on receiving it, as I didn't like the shape of the book (too small) and I didn't like the type style (too hard to read). Then, I struggled to get into the book. I like to highlight insights in inspirational books, and I simply didn't find anything to highlight in this one. I think Anne Lamott is a lovely person and I understand how a lot of people liked this book. However, it just didn't bring any new insights to the table for me and it wasn't written in a way that I found compelling. The good news is, it wasn't too hard to finish, since it is short. I passed it on to someone I hope will enjoy it.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2013
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O. Merce Brown
Belleville, US
★★★★★ 5
I Just Want to Read It Again!
Format: Hardcover
***** What a brilliant book! When I first received "Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers" I too was so disappointed that it was such a small book--tiny, short, maybe an hour's read. Ah, but what an hour! Precious. And to be completely truthful, this book actually took me several hours to read, because I had to put it down, think, cry, laugh, and even--yes--pray. This book is worth your time and attention. I am so glad that I have it in hardback because I will keep it forever and reread it regularly; I am finished reading it and I just want to read it all over again. It is a book about getting through life. It is rich, raw, funny (hilarious, like all Annie Lamott) and written in language so stunning I would have to stop and just read and reread sentences. I feel as though my life has been broken open with a whole new attitude towards prayer, and even more, towards being alive. This is not a religious book at all, but a book for anyone who is spiritually-oriented and maybe especially for those who aren't, because the author writes about prayer in a way that every single person can relate to. This is a book about being real and true and simple and clear and about living a worthwhile life. Don't miss this book. Highly recommended. *****
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Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2012
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Susan p
Port Orchard, US
★★★★★ 5
It’s great for the bathroom.
Color: Gold-aa
It’s great. I use it in all my bathrooms. It’s easy to change the paper. It fits on the tank and dresses it up.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2026
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Bernard C. Pattie
Boise, US
★★★★★ 5
Good Product, Fair Price
Color: Gold-aa
I bought this for my guest bathroom where I have some other brass items and it fits right in. Easy assembly with the supplied Allen wrench and bolt, and it comes with a cover for the bolt hole which perfectly matches the base padding material so the assembly point becomes invisible. It doesn’t have a ‘towel unroll preventer’ but I knew that when I evaluated the reasonable sale price and decided that wasn’t important for the intended use. The base is heavy and the assembled item seems very sturdy. I found it weird that this towel holder came with a plastic box containing a fork and a spoon as a ‘gift’ but this will go in my car camping cookware bag. I don’t know how the brass finish will hold up over time but for now I’m very pleased.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2025

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