Died On This Date (June 25, 1976) Johnny Mercer / Songwriter; Cofounder of Capitol Records
themusicsover Johnny Mercer
November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976
Johnny Mercer was a popular songwriter whose many songs made stars out of their singers during the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. He gave us such standards as “Days Of Wine And Roses,” “P.S. I Love You,” “Jeepers Creepers,” “Day In, Day Out,” and “Hooray For Hollywood” to name just a few. Mercer moved to Hollywood in 1935 and became one if the most in-demand songwriters in film. In 1942 he along with Buddy DeSylva and Glen Wallichs started Capitol Records where I used to work. In 1975, Mercer learned he had an inoperable brain tumor which lead to his death on June 25, 1976.
What You Should Own
Francis Dreyfus was a successful French music producer, publisher and label head for many years. As a publisher, he signed the likes of Cat Stevens, David Bowie, and Pink Floyd to his Francis Dreyfus Music. He mostly specialized on electronic and jazz music on his labels, Disques Dreyfus, Disques Motors, and Dreyfus Jazz. His most notable discovery was electronic pioneer, Jean-Michel Jarre. Dreyfus published his first recordings and released his groundbreaking Oxygene on his label. Other notable artists he signed over the years included jazz greats, Marcus Miller and Alan Stivell. He was also a one-time president of SPPF, a French rights society. His was the father of popular French actress, Julie Dreyfus. Francis Dreyfus was 69 when he passed away on June 24, 2010.
Hank Medress will always be remembered as the singer of American pop classic, “The Lion Sleeps Tonight,” but his contributions to popular music go much deeper. As a singer or producer, he’s worked directly with such artists as Neil Sedaka, the Chiffons, the Happenings and Tony Orlando. He was also instrumental in the creation of New York Dolls singer, David Johanson’s popular 80’s alter ego, Buster Poindexter. Medress died of lung cancer on June 18, 2007 at the age of 68.