Born in Savannah, GA. A former stage actor and band vocalist, he became one of America's leading lyricists, collaborating with, among others, composers Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Arlen, and Henry Mancini. Although he could not read music, he also composed many melodies himself and wrote the entire score for the Broadway musical Top Banana. His numerous popular songs as a lyricist include such hits as "Laura," "That Old Black Magic," "Jeepers Creepers," "Goody Goody," and the English lyrics for the French tune "Autumn Leaves." One of the founders of Capitol Records, Mercer won four Oscars for songs he wrote for the screen: "On the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" from THE HARVEY GIRLS (1946), "In the Cool Cool Cool of the Evening" from HERE COMES THE GROOM (1951), "Moon River" from BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961), and the title song of DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES (1962). He also appeared in several films.  Nominated for Music Best Song 1938: GOING PLACES "Jeepers Creepers" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1940: YOU'LL FIND OUT "I'd Know You Anywhere" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1940: SECOND CHORUS "Love of My Life" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1941: BLUES IN THE NIGHT "Blues in the Night" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1942: YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER "Dearly Beloved" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1943: THE SKY'S THE LIMIT "My Shining Hour" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1943: STAR SPANGLED RHYTHM "That Old Black Magic" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1945: HERE COME THE WAVES "(You've Got to) Accentuate the Positive" - Lyric  Music Best Song 1946: THE HARVEY GIRLS "On the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe" - Lyric  Music Best Song 1951: HERE COMES THE GROOM "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1955: DADDY LONG LEGS "Something's Gotta Give" - Music & Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1960: THE FACTS OF LIFE "The Facts of Life" - Music & Lyric  Music Best Song 1961: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S "Moon River" - Lyric  Music Best Song 1962: DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES "Days of Wine and Roses" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1963: CHARADE "Charade" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1965: THE GREAT RACE "The Sweetheart Tree" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Original Song Score) 1970: DARLING LILI (w. Henry Mancini)  Nominated for Music Best Song 1970: DARLING LILI "Whistling Away the Dark" - Lyric  Nominated for Music Best Song 1971: KOTCH "Life Is What You Make It" - Lyric 19 nominations, 4 Awards