Johnny Green

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Johnny Green (1908 to 1989), whose full name was John Waldo Green, was an American composer, arranger, conductor and pianist from New York. He was taught by Herman Wasserman, among others, and went to Harvard at fifteen. Between semesters the bandleader Guy Lombardo heard his orchestra and had him write dance arrangements. His first hit, Coquette in 1928, was written for Lombardo. His father wanted him to become a stockbroker, but Green left Wall Street for music.

Music and breakthrough

His most famous song is one of his earliest: Body and Soul, written in 1930 for Gertrude Lawrence and later a jazz standard. He also wrote Out of Nowhere, Bing Crosby's first number one, I Cover the Waterfront and I Wanna Be Loved. From 1930 to 1933 he was an arranger and conductor at Paramount Pictures. He then led his own orchestra and, until 1940, conducted the orchestras for Jack Benny's shows. At Paul Whiteman's request he wrote larger works, such as Night Club, which Whiteman performed at Carnegie Hall in 1933.

Influence

Later he wrote and conducted film music. He won four Oscars for his film scores and a fifth as producer of a short musical film. In 1972 he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Jazz musicians recorded his songs, and film music of his, such as Raintree County, is still being reissued.

Listening

• 
  Prologue · Johnny Green, 1961

Discography

Studio albums

• 2007Raintree County (soundtrack)