Skip to Main Content

Johnny Mercer: Bibliography

A guide to one of the most prominent figures of 20th century American popular music.

Bibliography

Books and Articles:

Eskew, Glenn T. Johnny Mercer: Southern Songwriter for the World. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 2013.

Ewen, David. “Songs with the Blues – II: Harold Arlen (and E. Y. Harburg and Johnny Mercer).” Great Men of American Popular Song. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1970.

Furia, Philip. Skylark: The Life and Times of Johnny Mercer. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2003.

Furia, Philip. “Midnight Sun: Johnny Mercer.” The Poets of Tin Pan Alley: A History of America's Great Lyricists. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990. 

Grein, Paul., and Inc Capitol Records. Capitol Records Fiftieth Anniversary, 1942-1992. Limited ed. Hollywood, Calif.: Capitol Records, 1992.

Hansen, Vern. “Skylark, Have You Anything to Say to Me?” Down Beat 2 Dec. 1976: 41+.

Gottlieb, Robert, and Robert Kimball. “Johnny Mercer.” Reading Lyrics. New York: Pantheon Books, 2000.

Lees, Gene. Portrait of Johnny: The Life of John Herndon Mercer. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004.

Lees, Gene. “Roses in the Morning – Johnny Mercer.” Singers and the Song. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Lees, Gene. “The Shaping of Johnny Mercer.” Jazzletter June-Oct. 1999.

Mercer, Johnny. The Johnny Mercer Centennial Sheet Music Collection. Van Nuys, CA: Alfred, 2011. Musical Score.

Mercer, Johnny. Too Marvelous for Words: The Magic of Johnny Mercer. Secaucus, N.J.: Warner Bros. Publications, 1985. Musical Score. 

Mercer, Johnny, Bob Bach, and Ginger Mercer. Johnny Mercer: The Life, Times, and Song Lyrics of Our Huckleberry Friend. Atlanta, Ga.: Cherokee Pub., 2009.

Mercer, Johnny, and Robert Kimball. The Complete Lyrics of Johnny Mercer. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2009.

Miller, Zell. “Johnny Mercer.” They Heard Georgia Singing: Great Georgians, Volume 2. Franklin Springs, Ga.: Advocate Press, 1984.

Phillips, Joseph. “Johnny Mercer Pays a Debt.” Reader’s Digest Feb. 1956: 82-86.

Sheed, Wilfrid. “Bless Yore Beautiful Hide.” Gentleman’s Quarterly Sept. 1998: 241-50.

“Why Song-Writing Johnny Gave Away $300,000.” Atlanta Journal 14 Aug. 1955: 10.

Wilk, Max. “’Moon River’ (Johnny Mercer).” They're Playing Our Song: From Jerome Kern to Stephen Sondheim - the Stories Behind the Words and Music of Two Generations. [1st ed.]. New York: Atheneum, 1973.

Zinsser, William. “From Natchez to Mobile, from Memphis to St. Joe.” The American Scholar Spring 1994: 259-66.

 

Thesis:

Gidlund, Leonora, and William Russell Pullen Library. Special Collections Dept. Johnny Mercer: Resources for the Study of an American Lyricist. 1984.

 

Documentary Film:

Ricker, Bruce, et al. Clint Eastwood Presents Johnny Mercer: The Dream's On Me. Two-disc special ed. Burbank, Calif.: Distributed by Warner Home Video, 2009. Video.

Special Collections and Archives

Special Collections and Archives
Music and Popular Culture Collections

Phone: (404) 413-2880
Fax: (404) 413-2881
E-Mail: archives@gsu.edu

Mailing Address:
Special Collections & Archives
Georgia State University Library
100 Decatur Street, SE
Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3202

In Person:
Library South, 8th floor

Employee Directory