{"id":1962,"date":"2025-12-19T22:36:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T22:36:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/19\/johnny-mercer-distinguished-american-singer-lyricist-and-songwriter-has-croatian-roots-on-his-mothers-side\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T22:36:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T22:36:08","slug":"johnny-mercer-distinguished-american-singer-lyricist-and-songwriter-has-croatian-roots-on-his-mothers-side","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/19\/johnny-mercer-distinguished-american-singer-lyricist-and-songwriter-has-croatian-roots-on-his-mothers-side\/","title":{"rendered":"Johnny Mercer, distinguished American singer, lyricist and songwriter, has Croatian roots on his mother&#39;s side"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Author:<\/strong> Nenad Bach, Branka Gudelj, and Darko Zubrinic<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Johnny_Mercer640-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"573\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Johnny Mercer, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948.<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">(Photo by William P. Gottlieb\/Public domain).<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gMTPsumjfTA?si=sgnaecGuaLN2F40Y\" title=\"YouTube video player\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe> <\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/06Johnny_Mercer_Louis_Armstrong-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"597\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Johny Mercer and Louis Armstrong<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/01Johnny_Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"730\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Johny Mercer with Branka Gudelj, Savannah, Georgia, in July 2024<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/07Johnny_Mercer_Nat20King_Cole-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"554\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Johny Mercer and Nat King Cole<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<table style=\"text-align:left;width:640px;\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"2\" border=\"1\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">  <b><font color=\"#333399\">The humble beginnings of one of America&#8217;s greatest songsmiths<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Mercer was born in Savannah, Georgia, where one of his first jobs, aged 10, was sweeping floors at the original 1919 location of Leopold&#8217;s Ice Cream. Mercer lived on Lincoln Street, a block away from the store&#8217;s East Gwinnett and Habersham location.<\/p>\n<p>Mercer&#8217;s father, George Anderson Mercer, was a prominent attorney and real-estate developer. Mercer&#8217;s mother, Lillian Elizabeth (nee <b>Ciucevich<\/b>), was the daughter of a Croatian immigrant father <b>Ivan Josip (John Joseph) \u010cu\u010devi\u0107<\/b> and a mother with Irish ancestry. <\/p>\n<p>Lillian was the senior Mercer&#8217;s secretary and second wife. Lillian&#8217;s father, born in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=03hG2j46tiY\" target=\"_blank\">Croatian island of Lastovo<\/a>, in 1834 to <b>Ivana Cucevic<\/b> (<b>\u010cu\u010devi\u0107<\/b>) and Marijo <b>Dundovic<\/b>, was a merchant seaman who ran the Union blockade during the Civil War. Mercer was George&#8217;s fourth son, and his first son by Lillian. <\/p>\n<p>His great-grandfather was Confederate General Hugh Weedon Mercer and he was a direct descendant of American Revolutionary War General Hugh Mercer, a Scottish soldier-physician who died at the Battle of Princeton. Mercer was also a distant cousin of General George S. Patton.<\/p>\n<p>Mercer liked music as a small child and attributed his musical talent to his mother, who would sing sentimental ballads.<\/p>\n<p>Source Wikipedia (excerpt from his biography)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hkQybG1Cglk?si=1EuvG3Mej5CMKUww\" title=\"YouTube video player\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><br \/> Moon River, lyrics (and singing) by Johnny Mercer, music by Henry Mancini <\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/13Johny_Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"502\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/09Johnny20Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"383\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div>List of Johnny Mercer&#8217;s belongings at <i>Savannah History Museum, <\/i>shown below.<i><br \/><\/i><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Johnny_Mercer_Savannah_History20Museum-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"709\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Golden key, visible in the middle of the table (just in front of Johnny&#8217;s typewriter), is the key of the City of Savannah, Georgia.<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Also visible are one of his four Grammy Awards and his hat.<\/div>\n<div>              <\/p>\n<table style=\"text-align:left;width:640px;\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"2\" border=\"1\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\"><b>Johnny Mercer<\/b> was a lyricist, songwriter and singer. He was also a record label executive, who co-founded Capitol Records.<\/p>\n<p>From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were among the most popular hits of the time. He wrote the lyrics to more than fifteen hundred songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations and won four Best Original Song Oscars.<\/p>\n<p>His mother&#8217;s father was born on the Croatian <a href=\"https:\/\/tz-lastovo.hr\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\">island of Lastovo<\/a> in 1834.<\/p>\n<p>Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.croatiaweek.com\/10-famous-musicians-with-croatian-roots-born-abroad\/\" target=\"_blank\">Croatian Week<\/a><\/p>\n<hr>\n<p><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bCln5vLI_zw?si=WSvf7bn_pFHc_EBL\" title=\"YouTube video player\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen=\"\" width=\"625\" height=\"340\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\">Nat King Cole and Johnny Mercer<\/div>\n<p>Johnny Mercer, co-founder of Capitol Records, was the first prominent white label to sign a black artist to a major recording contract. When Nat King Cole got the run-around trying to purchase a home in Beverly Hills, Mercer interceded and the deal went through. That Mercer came from the deep South (Savannah, GA), during the peak of segregation is a testament to the man. Cole and Mercer &#8211; two class acts.<\/p>\n<p>Many thanks to @AJNorth for this information.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11Johny_Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Plaque at Johnny Mercer&#8217;s House, Savannah, Georgia, July 2024<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/08Johnny_Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Johny Mercer&#8217;s house in Savannah, Georgia<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!--               \n\n<table style=\"text-align:left;width:640px;\" cellspacing=\"2\" cellpadding=\"2\" border=\"1\" align=\"center\"> \n\n<tbody>               \n\n<tr>               \n\n<td valign=\"top\">  <b><font color=\"#333399\">HRVAT S \u010cETIRI OSCARA: <br \/>NJEGOVE PJESME PJEVAO JE I FRANK SINATRA<\/font><\/b>\n\nPI\u0160E Sergej \u017dupani\u0107; 20. studenoga 2015.\n\n<br \/>Na hitovima kultnog Johnnyja Mercera, popularnost su gradili Fred Astaire i Frank Sinatra. Njegovih 1500 pjesama izvodili su Bill Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, ali on nije zaboravio dalmatinske korijene.\n\nS osvojena \u010dak \u010detiri Oscara, bio je jedan od najve\u0107ih ameri\u010dkih tekstopisaca i skladatelja, takav za \u010dije hitove su se otimale zvijezde poput Franka Sinatre, Louisa Armstronga ili Freda Astaira.\n\nNazivali su ga glazbenim genijem s ameri\u010dkog juga i nitko od njegovih kroni\u010dara nikada nije dvojio da je briljantni talent za glazbu i stihove naslijedio od svoje majke Lillian, potekle od useljenika s otoka Lastova.\n\nKarijera Johnnyja Mercera eksplodirala je 1935., kada je iz New Yorka preselio u Hollywood i u njemu ostavio zvjezdani trag.\n\n<b>Predak s Lastova<\/b> koji je prvi odselio u SAD bio je njegov <b>djed Ivan Josip \u010cu\u010devi\u0107<\/b>, ro\u0111en 1834. Prema nekim povijesnim izvorima, on je sa svojim bratom do Gra\u0111anskog rata \u017eivio u Charlestonu u Ju\u017enoj Karolini, da bi potom preselio u Savannah u Georgiju, gdje se o\u017eenio Irkinjom Juliom Antoniom Merritt i dobio desetero djece. Me\u0111u njima 1881. i <b>Lillian Ciucevich<\/b> (\u010cu\u010devi\u0107), \u017eenu koja je njegovala uspomenu na hrvatske korijene i koja je u braku s bogatim odvjetnikom i \u0161pekulantom nekretninama Georgeom Andersonom Mercerom, 1909. rodila Johnnyja Mercera. S o\u010deve pak strane Mercer je bio povezan s takvim rodoslovljem da mu je daljnji ro\u0111ak bio \u010dak i legendarni ameri\u010dki general iz Drugog svjetskog rata George Patton.\n\nMercer je bio izrazito sretno dijete. Otac mu je posjedovao prvi automobil u gradu. Obitelj je imala crne sluge, \u0161to je tako\u0111er imalo utjecaja na njegov glazbeni razvoj, a tetka, koja se zaklinjala da je uo\u010dila njegov glazbeni talent jo\u0161 dok je bio beba, vukla ga je sa sobom po vodviljima na coon i ragtime. No, mali Mercer toliko se odu\u0161evljavao crna\u010dkom glazbom da je, osim najbolje mogu\u0107e formalne naobrazbe u Savannahu u to vrijeme, privu\u010den neodoljivim zbornim pjevanjem uredno pohodio bogoslu\u017eja lokalnog crna\u010dkog stanovni\u0161tva. Svjedo\u010dio je usponu prvog crnog biskupa u SAD-u Daddyja Gracea, kao tinejd\u017eer se po gradu s dru\u0161tvom glupirao uz ilegalni alkohol i ganjao lokalne ljepotice po plesnjacima. To je bio i jedan od povoda da se oku\u0161a u pisanju prvih pjesama, punim plu\u0107ima upijaju\u0107i doba procvata jazza.\n\nI tako sve do 1927. kada mu je otac s raspadom tr\u017ei\u0161ta nekretnina na Floridi ostao u dugu od \u010dak milijun dolara. Johnny Mercer vi\u0161e nije mogao ra\u010dunati da \u0107e mo\u0107i studirati. Otputovao je u New York nadaju\u0107i se da bi se mogao oku\u0161ati kao dio putuju\u0107e gluma\u010dke amaterske skupine, da bi ga ve\u0107 sljede\u0107e godine voda nanijela u Greenwich Village. I onda je sve eksplodiralo. Po\u010deo je pisati jazz pjesme i isklju\u010divo s tim prihodima uspio je ne gladovati kad je 1929. izbila velika ekonomska kriza. Napisao je \"Trav'lin' Light\" za Billie Holiday, \"Midnight Sun\" za Lionela Hamptona, \"Satin Doll\" za Dukea Ellingtona, a u kratkom posjetu Kaliforniji zbog mjuzikla \"Pariz u prolje\u0107e\" upoznao je svoje bogove na zemlji - Billa Crosbyja i Louisa Armstronga.\n\nSvijet oko njega se ru\u0161io, ali okru\u017een bluesom i jazzom, Johnny Mercer je toliko procvao da je zara\u0111ivao isprva 25 dolara tjedno, dovoljno za o\u017eeniti se. Uspjelo mu je 1933. osvojiti i nagradu na natje\u010daju Paula Whitmana, kralja jazza i vo\u0111e jednog od najve\u0107ih jazz orkestara tog doba. U tom se trenutku doista po\u010delo \u010duti za originalnog, duhovitog, senzibilnog stihoklepca s ameri\u010dkog juga. Whitman ga je upoznao s takvim imenima da su Mercera 1935. pozvali da pi\u0161e i sklada u Hollywoodu. Preko no\u0107i se na\u0161ao u svijetu u kojem je pisao stihove i glazbu za filmove Warner Brothersa, MGM-a, Paramounta, RKO-a i Twentieth Century Foxa. Njegove pjesme odjednom su pjevali Fred Astaire i Ginger Rogers, a kako je Mercer bio ovisnik o no\u0107nom \u017eivotu jazz umjetnika, progutao ga je krug ispi\u010dutura oko Binga Crosbyja. Njegovu pjesmu \"Jeepers Creepers\" iz 1937. u filmu \"Going places\" odsvirao je sam Louis Armstrong i ona je postala Mercerova prva nominacija za Oscara za najbolju filmsku pjesmu.\n\nLastovsko dijete u dobi od 28 godina postalo je autor, povremeno i pjeva\u010d \u010dak i za takve veli\u010dine poput <i>Benny Goodman Banda<\/i>, da bi mu se 1939. dogodilo i to da mu pet hitova bude me\u0111u prvih deset na top ljestvici nacionalnog radio showa \"Your Hit Parade\". I dok je svijet nepovratno srljao u ponor Drugog svjetskog rata, Mercer je naletio na Harolda Arlena, kompozitora koji je ve\u0107 tada iza sebe imao hit \"Over the rainbow\" iz jo\u0161 jednog povijesno neponovljivog filma \"\u010carobnjak iz Oza\". Mercer je s Arlenom dijelio apsolutnu fascinaciju jazzom i bluesom i to se vidjelo prakti\u010dno istog trena. Hitovi su im zapljusnuli glazbenu scenu.\n\nNjihov hit \"One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)\" iz 1941. godinama poslije izvodili su redom Perry Como, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry, Ella Fitzgerald, Eta James, Frank Sinatra, tko sve ne, a na albumu \"Party\" iz 1981. tu je pjesmu otpjevala \u010dak i punk ikona Iggy Pop.\n\n\u0160to se filma ti\u010de, bilo je to vrijeme na\u0161tancanih domoljubnih jednostavnih scenarija, no Mercer je i u tim godinama pisao hitove koji su opstajali i nakon spla\u0161njavanja domoljubnog zanosa. Merceru je novac plju\u0161tao, a potomak \u010cu\u010devi\u0107a s Lastova nije se zaustavljao. S producentom Buddyjem DeSylvom 1942. osnovao je diskografsku ku\u0107u \"Capitol Records\" koju je ameri\u010dka javnost narednih godina opjevala kao ku\u0107u \u010diji je neboder izgradio Nat King Cole svojim hitovima koje je snimio za Capitol. Ve\u0107 do 1946. iz Mercerovog Capitola godi\u0161nje je izlazila \u0161estina svih plo\u010da koje je izbacivala ionako masivna ameri\u010dka glazbena produkcija.\n\nA te iste godine Judy Garland je briljirala u filmu \"Harvejeve djevojke\" \u010dija je naslovna pjesma \"On The Atchison, Topeka, And Santa Fe\" s Mercerovim stihovima i glazbom Harryja Warrena osvojila Oscara. Johnny Mercer je bio na vrhu svijeta i nije pokazivao ba\u0161 nikakvu namjeru da se odatle makne. Slovio je za glazbenog genija koji pretvara u zlato sve \u0161to dotakne. Drugog Oscara dobio je 1951. za pjesmu koju je skladao s Hoagyjem Carmichaelom \"In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening\" koju su u filmu \"Dolazi mlado\u017eenja\" izveli Bing Crosby i Jane Wyman. Briljirao je i u glazbi za film \"Sedam mladenki za sedmoricu bra\u0107e\" iz 1954. I dok je njegova diskografska ku\u0107a na top ljestvice izbacivala su\u0161to zlato, Johnny Mercer naglo je odlu\u010dio prodati svoj udio za 300.000 dolara kako bi do kraja isplatio dugove koji su ostali iza financijskog sloma njegovog pokojnog oca. Unato\u010d tome, najbolje godine Johnnyju Merceru tek su mu slijedile. Bila je 1961. kad je s Henryjem Mancinijem napisao glazbu za svevremeni filmski klasik \"Doru\u010dak kod Tiffanyja\" s Audrey Hepburn.\n\nPjesma \"Moon River\" bio je tre\u0107i Mercerov hit za kojega je dobio Oscara, svijet je poludio za njegovim stihovima koji su se mogli roditi samo iz \u017eivog mladena\u0161tva s ameri\u010dkog juga <b>i duha dalmatinskog naslije\u0111a<\/b> koje Mercer nikada nije zaboravio, a koje mu je prenijela njegova majka. Jedino \u0161to je te godine jo\u0161 ostalo zagonetkom u svijetu glazbe, filma i show businessa bilo je ho\u0107e li i kad \u0107e Johnny Mercer postati prvi kojemu \u0107e uspjeti dobiti i \u010detvrti Oscar za svoje pjesme. To se dogodilo ve\u0107 sljede\u0107e godine. S Mancinijem je svijet oborio s nogu s istoimenom naslovnom pjesmom za film \"Dani vina i ru\u017ea\" i oborio rekord u osvojenim nagradama Ameri\u010dke fillmske akademije. S ukupno 19 nominacija, slavan koliko je to uop\u0107e bilo mogu\u0107e, tek u dobi od 53 godine kona\u010dno je malo usporio. Na to je vjerojatno utjecao i po\u010detak ere rock and rolla i ra\u0111anje jednog bitno druga\u010dijeg svijeta glazbe od onoga u kojem se on oblikovao. Ipak, primjerice, njegov hit \"Early Autumn\" puno godina poslije primijetio je Bob Dylan i snimio vlastitu verziju, a njegov posljednji veliki hit \"Summer Wind\" iz 1965. premijerno je snimio, tko drugi nego Frank Sinatra.\n\nOstatak \u017eivota posvetio je prvenstveno producentskom radu i mjuziklima, \u0161to je 1975. navelo samog Paula McCartneya koji je tih godina \u017eario i palio s Wingsima, da mu predlo\u017ei projekt. Do te suradnje, me\u0111utim, nikada nije do\u0161lo jer je Mercer upravo otkrio da gadne glavobolje koje je trpio ve\u0107 neko vrijeme, potje\u010du od tumora na mozgu. Vrlo brzo se ispostavilo da je tumor nemogu\u0107e operirati i da je Merceru medicinski jedino mogu\u0107e koliko toliko poku\u0161ati olak\u0161ati posljednje mjesece \u017eivota.\n\nPreminuo je u Los Angelesu 25. lipnja 1976. i s vi\u0161e od 1500 pjesama u\u0161ao u povijest SAD-a kao neponovljivi stihopisac i glazbenik koji je emocionalno bogatstvo pjesama postizao kori\u0161tenjem obaraju\u0107ih kombinacija izvornog izri\u010daja s ameri\u010dkog juga. O tome da je rije\u010d o geniju, nije bilo spora jo\u0161 za njegovog \u017eivota. No, Mercera je povijest upamtila i kao izrazito skromnog i samozatajnog umjetnika. Njegov grob po vlastitoj \u017eelji, izrazito je skroman za tako popularnog umjetnika. Koliko god je desetlje\u0107ima bio u najmanju ruku ravnopravan me\u0111u najve\u0107im imenima i licima svjetskog show businessa, do kraja \u017eivota je ostao vjeran svojoj prvoj i jedinoj supruzi kojom se o\u017eenio u dobi od samo 20 godina. Njegove su pjesme nastavili uglazbljivati i izvoditi i nakon njegove smrti. Na 100. godi\u0161njicu njegovog ro\u0111enja Clint Eastwood je snimio dokumentarac o njegovom \u017eivotu \"The Dream's on Me\". \n\nIste godine grad Savannah mu je podigao spomenik, a jo\u0161 ranije je po njemu nazvalo i svoje najve\u0107e kazali\u0161te. Savezna dr\u017eava Georgija je pak 1995. proglasila 19. travnja <i>Danom Johnnyja Mercera<\/i> zbog nemjerljivog doprinosa glazbi. Unato\u010d tome, hrvatska javnost prakti\u010dno nema pojma o jednom od najve\u0107ih umjetnika koji je potekao s ovih prostora. O kakvom spomeniku na Lastovu s kojega se u svijet sredinom 19. stolje\u0107a otisnuo njegov djed, ni dandanas nema govora.\n\nIzvor: <a href=\"https:\/\/express.24sata.hr\/kultura\/hrvat-s-cetiri-oscara-njegove-pjesme-pjevao-je-i-frank-sinatra-3034\" target=\"_blank\">express.24sata.hr<\/a>\n\n<\/td>\n\n               <\/tr>\n\n               <\/tbody>\n\n               <\/table>\n\n-->             <\/div>\n<div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/02Johny_Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Johnny Mercer&#8217;s grave in Savannah, Georgie, Bonaventura Cemetary<\/div>\n<div align=\"center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/05Johnny_Mercer-4.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" border=\"0\" align=\"Baseline\"\/><\/div>\n<div align=\"center\">Bench by Johnny Mercer&#8217;s grave<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Nenad Bach, Branka Gudelj, and Darko Zubrinic Johnny Mercer, New York, N.Y., between 1946 and 1948. (Photo by William P. Gottlieb\/Public domain). Johny Mercer and Louis Armstrong Johny Mercer with Branka Gudelj, Savannah, Georgia, in July 2024 Johny Mercer and Nat King Cole The humble beginnings of one of America&#8217;s greatest songsmiths Mercer was [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1951,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,25,44,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1962","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-entertainment","category-music","category-people"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1962"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1962\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1951"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1962"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1962"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/crown.salamander-studios.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1962"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}