Johnny Mann
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Johnny Mann (born August 30, 1928 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American arranger, composer, conductor, entertainer, and recording artist.
[edit] Background
As bandleader with the Johnny Mann Singers, the group recorded approximately three dozen albums, hosted the TV series entitled Stand Up and Cheer, and was the musical director for The Joey Bishop Show. He was also musical director of the original Alvin and The Chipmunks TV series, and was the voice of Theodore. Mann was also choral director for the NBC Comedy Hour.
The Johnny Mann Singers' version of "Up, Up and Away", rather than the original by The Fifth Dimension, became the hit version of the song in the United Kingdom.
Mann wrote a number of radio jingles, the most famous being the "Sounds of the City" jingle for KSFO in San Francisco. This jingle became as requested as many of the songs played by KSFO in the era of Don Sherwood, and it was adapted by Mann to other radio stations around the country which included KFRC(AM) in San Francisco and CKLW in Windsor,Ontario.
Mann has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, two of which he won.
The Johnny Mann Singers still record jingles for radio stations today,done in the famous Drake style of the 60s/70s Top 40 era.
Mann is credited as "Johnnie Mann" in some of his earlier works.
