Johnny Mandel

Johnny Mandel, a five-time GRAMMY® winner and recipient of both an Academy Award® and an Emmy®, was one of America’s most distinguished composers, arrangers, and producers. Over the course of seven decades, Mandel’s work bridged jazz, pop and film, leaving an indelible mark on American music.

Born in New York City, Mandel began arranging at age twelve. He spent his teenage years performing first on trumpet, then on trombone with the bands of Joe Venuti, Jimmy Dorsey, Woody Herman, Artie Shaw and later with Count Basie. Equally gifted as a trombonist and arranger, he brought a sophisticated musicality to every ensemble he joined.

By the late 1940s, Mandel was writing and arranging for radio and the emerging world of television. His reputation quickly grew, and after a move to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s, he became one of the most sought-after arrangers in the recording industry. His work shaped classic recordings for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Chet Baker, Hoagy Carmichael and Andy Williams, among many others.

Mandel made his debut in film scoring with the groundbreaking all-jazz soundtrack for I Want to Live! (1958), establishing him as one of Hollywood’s most original and expressive composers. His later work included acclaimed scores for The Americanization of Emily (1964), The Sandpiper (1965), The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming (1966), M*A*S*H* (1970), with its enduring theme “Suicide Is Painless”, and Being There (1979), among others.

As a songwriter, Mandel composed standards such as “The Shadow of Your Smile” (Academy Award® winner for Best Original Song from The Sandpiper), “Emily,” “Where Do You Start?,” and “Close Enough for Love,” all of which have become beloved entries in the Great American Songbook.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to music, Mandel received an honorary doctorate from Berklee College of Music in 1993, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2010, honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2011, and received the GRAMMY® Trustees Award in 2018, celebrating his lifetime of innovation and influence in the recording arts.

In later years, Mandel brought his elegant touch to contemporary music, arranging and producing for artists like Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Natalie Cole, Steely Dan, Diana Krall, Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson. His influence can be heard across generations of musicians who cite his balance of sophistication, emotion, and timeless craft as a guiding inspiration.

Mandel died in 2020 at the age of 94, leaving behind a body of work that continues to define excellence in American music.