His credits as musical executive, arranger, conductor and composer are lengthy, but include such highlights as Raintree County (1957), Bathing Beauty (1944), Something in the Wind (1947), Easter Parade (1948) (Academy Award), Summer Stock (1950), An American in Paris (1951) (Academy Award), Royal Wedding (1951), High Society (1956) and West Side Story (1961) (Academy Award). Married three times, he had a daughter with actress Betty Furness and two daughters with MGM "Glamazon" Bunny Waters. He was a respected board member of ASCAP and guest conductor with symphonies around the globe, including the Hollywood Bowl, Denver Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic and more. He was a chairman of the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and a producer of television specials.
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Joining ASCAP in 1931, his chief musical collaborators included Gus Kahn, 'E.Y. Harburg' ("Yip"), Billy Rose, Johnny Mercer, Edward Heyman, Paul Francis Webster, and Mack David. His popular-song compositions include "Body and Soul," "Coquette," "I'm Yours," "Oceans of Time," "Out of Nowhere," "Weep No More My Baby," "I Cover the Waterfront," "An Hour Ago This Minute," "Rain, Rain, Go Away," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "You're Mine, You," "The Steam Is on the Beam," "I've Got a Heavy Date," "I Wanna Be Loved," "Hello, My Lover, Goodbye," "Something in the Wind," "The Turntable Song," and "The Song of Raintree County."
One of his songs, "Body and Soul," was used in the Broadway revue "Three's A Crowd," and his stage scores include "Mr. Whittington" (London) and "Beat the Band" and "Here Goes the Bride" (Broadway).
He had his own radio series, "World of Music," and led the orchestra for several radio programs including Jack Benny's and Philip Morris' shows between 1933 and 1940, and was also accompanist for Ethel Merman, Gertrude Lawrence, and James Melton. In addition, he conducted orchestras for night clubs and recordings and was guest conductor at the Hollywood Bowl, the Denver Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. He conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its Symphonies for Youth and Promenade Concerts between 1959 and 1963, and for the Los Angeles Music Center opening in 1964.
He served as chairman of the Music Board at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and was a life member and a member of the Board of Governors.
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Spouse (3)
Bunny Waters (20 November 1943 - 15 May 1989) ( his death) ( 2 children)
Betty Furness (26 November 1937 - 1943) ( divorced) ( 1 child)
Carol Falk (29 April 1930 - 22 November 1937) ( divorced)
Trivia (9)
Father of Babbie Green and Kathe Green.
Led the Academy Award Orchestra a total of seventeen times on Oscar Nights over the years.
Composer of numerous song standards, most notably "Body and Soul" but also "Coquette," "I Cover the Waterfront," "I'm Yours," "Out of Nowhere" and "Song of Raintree County".
Was the bandleader on The Jack Benny Program (1950) prior to Phil Harris.
Recipient of thirteen Oscar nominations, five of which he actually won.
In the 1940s, along with orchestrator Conrad Salinger, he was one of the musicians most responsible for changing (and, many would say, improving) the overall sound of the M-G-M Orchestra, partially through the re-seating of some of the players. This is why the overall orchestral sound of M-G-M's musicals from the mid 1940s onward is different from the orchestral sound of those made from 1929 until about 1944.
Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.
Johnny's daughter Kathe was brought in when it was found the singing voice of Mark Lester wasn't quite what was wanted for the song "Where Is Love" in Oliver! (1968).
Won Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Oscars for three films which also won Best Picture: An American in Paris (1951), West Side Story (1961) and Oliver! (1968).