Born in Louisiana, but raised in Chicago, Hartman began singing and playing the piano by the age of eight. He attended DuSable High School studying music under Walter Dyett before receiving a scholarship to Chicago Musical College. He sang as an Army private during World War II, but his first professional work came in September 1946 when he won a singing contest awarding him a one-week engagement with Earl Hines. Seeing potential in the singer, Hines hired him for the next year. Although Hartman’s first recordings were with Marl Young in February 1947, it was the collaboration with Hines that provided notable exposure. After the Hines orchestra broke up, Dizzy Gillespie invited Hartman to join his big band in 1948 during an eight-week tour in California. Dropped from the band about one year later, Hartman worked for a short time with pianist Erroll Garner before going solo by early 1950.
After recording several singles with different orchestras, Hartman finally released his first solo album, Songs from the Heart, with a quintet for Bethlehem Records in 1955. Releasing two more albums with small labels, neither very successful, Hartman got a career-altering offer in 1963 to record with John Coltrane. The saxophonist likely remembered Hartman from a bill they shared at the Apollo Theater in 1950 and later said, “I just felt something about him, I don’t know what it was. I like his sound, I thought there was something there I had to hear so I looked him up and did that album.” Featuring all ballads, John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman is widely considered a classic. This led to recording four more albums with Impulse! and parent label ABC, all produced by Bob Thiele.
With the 1970s being difficult for singers clinging to the pre-rock American songbook, Hartman turned to playing cocktail lounges in New York City and Chicago. Recording again with small labels such as Perception and Musicor, Hartman produced music of mixed quality as he attempted to be viewed as a more versatile vocalist. Referring to his approach to interpreting a song, Hartman said, “Well, to me a lyric is a story, almost like talking, telling somebody a story, try to make it believable.” Returning to the jazz combo format of his earlier albums, Hartman recorded Once in Every Life for Bee Hive, earning him a 1981 Grammy nomination for Best Male Jazz Vocalist. This was quickly followed up by his last album of newly recorded material titled This One’s for Tedi as a tribute to his wife Theodora. His first kid is Jani, Jani Hartman the famous jazz singer, who became famous with the song 'Bad'.
Hartman recorded new tracks for Grenadilla Records on their jazz label – Grapevine. These were dance tracks of Beyond the Sea and Caravan with Caravan also having an extended 6-minute version.
In the early 1980s Hartman gave several performances for jazz festivals, television, and radio before succumbing to lung cancer at the age of sixty. His reputation grew considerably in 1995 when the soundtrack to Clint Eastwood’s Bridges of Madison County (1995) featured seven songs from the then out-of-print Bee Hive album.
Hartman's first biography, The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story, by Dr. Gregg Akkerman, was released in June 2012 by Scarecrow Press as part of their "Studies in Jazz" series.
(2) Though he was never the most distinctive vocalist, Johnny Hartman rose above others to become the most commanding, smooth balladeer of the 1950s and '60s, a black crooner closely following Billy Eckstine and building on the form with his notable jazz collaborations, including the 1963 masterpiece John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Born in Chicago, he began singing early on and performed while in Special Services in the Army. Hartman studied music while at college and made his professional debut in the mid-'40s, performing with Earl Hines and recording his first sides for Regent/Savoy. After Hines' band broke up later in 1947, Hartman moved to the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band and stayed for two years, recording a few additional sides for Mercury as well.
Johnny Hartman's first proper LP came in 1956 with Songs from the Heart, recorded for Bethlehem and featuring a quartet led by trumpeter Howard McGhee. He recorded a second (All of Me) later that year, but then was virtually off-record until 1963, when his duet album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman appeared on Impulse. A beautiful set of ballad standards, including top-flight renditions of "Lush Life" and "My One and Only Love," the album sparked a flurry of activity for Hartman, including two more albums for Impulse: 1963's I Just Dropped by to Say Hello and the following year's The Voice That Is. During the late '60s and early '70s, he recorded a range of jazz and pop standards albums for ABC, Perception, and Blue Note. Hartman recorded sparingly during the 1970s, but returned with two albums recorded in 1980, one of which (Once in Every Life) earned a Grammy nomination just two years before his death in 1983. ~ John Bush, Rovi
For The Good Times
Johnny Hartman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning.
Let's just be glad we had some time to spend together.
There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.
Lay your head on my pillow.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops,
And make believe you love me one more time,
For the good times.
I'll get along; you'll find another,
And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me.
Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever,
There'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me.
Lay your head upon my pillow,
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops,
Blowin' soft against the window,
And make believe you love me one more time,
For the good times.
The lyrics of Johnny Hartman's song "For the Good Times" is about two people who have come to the end of their relationship, but choose to appreciate the time they spent together instead of dwelling on the pain of the present. The first verse acknowledges that the relationship has reached its end, but both the singer and his partner need to accept it and move on. He encourages his partner to be optimistic and focus on the future. The line, "There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning," suggests that there is no point in fighting or trying to fix things that can't be fixed.
The second verse is about finding solace in the moment. The singer invites his partner to lay her head on his pillow and hold him close, listening to the calming sound of the raindrops. He asks her to pretend to love him again, one last time, for the good times. In the third verse, the singer acknowledges that they will both move on, but he will always be there for her if she ever needs him; however, he asks her not to talk about the future and forever as it will lead to sadness when she eventually leaves.
Overall the song portrays the acceptance of a dying relationship and the appreciation for the good times they shared. It's a song about maturity and hope, despite the pain of a break-up.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't look so sad, I know it's over.
Don't be upset because our time together has ended.
But life goes on, and this old world will keep on turning.
Life continues and the world will keep moving forward, regardless of our situation.
Let's just be glad we had some time to spend together.
We should cherish the time we spent together and be grateful for the memories.
There's no need to watch the bridges that we're burning.
We don't need to obsess over the past and the things that cannot be changed.
Lay your head on my pillow.
Rest your head on my pillow and find some comfort.
Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Stay close to me and feel the warmth of our bodies together.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops, Blowin' soft against the window,
Listen to the sound of the raindrops outside, falling gently against the window.
And make believe you love me one more time, For the good times.
Let's pretend that we still love each other for one more moment, for the sake of the good memories we shared.
I'll get along; you'll find another, And I'll be here if you should find you ever need me.
I'll be fine without you, you'll find someone else, and I'll be here for you if you ever need my help in the future.
Don't say a word about tomorrow or forever, There'll be time enough for sadness when you leave me.
Let's not talk about the future or long-term plans, we'll have plenty of time to be sad when you eventually leave.
Lay your head upon my pillow, Hold your warm and tender body close to mine.
Rest your head on my pillow and hold me close once more.
Hear the whisper of the raindrops, Blowin' soft against the window, And make believe you love me one more time, For the good times.
Listen to the sound of the raindrops and pretend to love me one more time, for the sake of our good memories together.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kristoffer Kristofferson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PandaNFriends23
Billy Collins wrote a poem referencing his listening to Mr Hartman. To quote him, "whose dark voice can curl around the concepts of love, beauty, and foolishness like no else's can. It feels like smoke curling up from a cigarette [ ... ] as if it were [ ... ] twirling the loose ice in a glass, slipping by degrees into a rhythmic dream". I have to absolutely agree. Reading his poem to these songs was an incredible experience. Very satisfying. Thankful for both of their art. They compliment each other wonderfully. 10/10 Would recommend.
@sheresewoodley1711
My all time favorite is the album Johnny Hartman did with John Coltrane.I play it over and over and over....."I'll live a Lush Life in some small dive......"
@CoronaHolland
Johnny Hartman has the most relaxing and romantic music. Be still my heart. Thank you for sharing!
@frankzappa5058
What a voice...he always lifts me when I hear his voice. Thanks Mr Hartman
@evandrocoutinho8709
There are many great singers, but only a few possess unique and wonderful voices. Among them is Johnny Hartman.
@TheeSeer
I have been a singer since age 6 learning at my Mother's operatic knee. But never did I really start to learn what the mastery of song should be and how hard that is until 1963 after listening to the greatest two musical geniuses who ever lived. Jonny Hartman singing and John Coltrane on sax
@Michaelbos
Another voice from the past, when we had such a large quantity of talented entertainers of all kind. What a smooth voice.
@radawson1018
His deep, dreamy voice is a slow dancer’s delight. Hope he’s making music in paradise🧚🏽
@MiaHessMusic
Like hot chocolate by a cozy fire on a cold winter's night --- perfection!! Love Johnny Hartman! Right up there with Billy Eckstein!
@Steeltowner
The greatest voice to ever come out of the United States.