WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Johnny Mercer statue unveiled on his100th birthday
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By Justin Burrows - email
SAVANNAH,GA (WTOC) - Birthdays are about celebrating a life with the ones who love you. And on this day, it wasn't any different, as hundreds gathered to celebrate the centennial of famed songwriter Johnny Mercer's birth.
Like any birthday, there was singing and plenty of smiles, but let's not forget about the presents. Friends and family were on hand as the City of Savannah unwrapped a life-sized statue of Savannah native Johnny Mercer in Ellis Square. A gift that had special meaning for many of those attending. "I grew up in the Johnny Mercer era and he's a big influence on my musical background," said Dean Phillips from Georgetown. "He's finally getting the recognition that he really deserves and people will know whose songs have punctuated the milestones of their lives over those so many generations," said Johnny Mercer's niece Nancy Gerard. Nancy Gerard says her family is honored by the statue, and that this gift wasn't just for them. "It's really something for the citizens of Savannah and we're going to have a lot of tourists come and see it," said Gerard. "People revere his music all over the world and that means they will come to Savannah and find their way to Ellis Square to see his statue," said Savannah mayor Otis Johnson. Many say Mercer's music touched so many people because he was of the people. "He represents the common man. He's the man on the street. I don't think he ever wrote down to people. He met them on their level," said record producer Ken Barnes. Ken Barnes produced Mercer's last album, and presented the people of Savannah with a song never before heard, called, "You're in Savannah." A lasting gift from the man who loved the city as much as it loved him.
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