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
They Didn't Believe Me
Johnny Hartman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
keep trying to make it through the next turn, knuckles white and holding tight
so here I go, takin' the curve
but I know that I'm never alone
I think of you, and how you never let me go
I feel connected, protected
its like you're standing right with me all the time
you hear me, you're near me
cause nothing can break this
nothing can break this
nothing can break this tie
connected. ooh connected inside
its not an accident the time we spent apart
but now we're so close I can always find you right here in my heart
you've given me somethin I need, and I dont ever want it to end
because of you, I know I've found my strength again
I feel connected, protected
its like you're standing right with me all the time
you hear me, you're near me
and everything else is gonna be allright
cause nothing can break this
nothing can break this
nothing can break this tie
connected. ooh connected inside
everytime that I breath I can feel the energy
reachin out flowin through you to me and me to you
wake or dream, walk or stand you are everywhere I am
separate souls unified touching at the speed of light
oh yeaaaah oh whoa yeah
I feel connected, protected
its like you're standing right with me all the time
you hear me, you're near me
and everything else is gonna be allright
connected, protected
its like you're standing right with me all the time
you hear me, you're near me
and everything else is gonna be allright
cause nothing can break this
nothing can break this
nothing can break this tie
connected, connected inside, connected, connected unside, connected
oh yeah
The lyrics of "Connected" by Barbra Streisand are about the power of love and how it can provide strength and comfort during difficult times. The singer describes themselves as being blindfolded on a carriage ride that they call life, trying to navigate the twists and turns with white knuckles and a tight grip. But despite feeling alone and scared, the singer thinks of their loved one who is always with them, providing a sense of connection, protection, and support that cannot be broken.
Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes the unbreakable nature of their connection. They mention that nothing can break this tie and that they feel connected both inside and out. The singer also describes feeling the energy that flows between them and suggesting that their connection is not limited by physical space or time.
Overall, the lyrics of "Connected" speak to the power of love to provide a sense of stability and security during turbulent times. Even when everything else seems uncertain or out of control, the connection between the singer and their loved one remains constant and unwavering.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm blind-folded on this carriage ride that they call life
I constantly feel unsure and scared about the unpredictable course of life.
keep trying to make it through the next turn, knuckles white and holding tight
I keep trying my best to navigate through life's challenges with a firm grip, but it's not easy.
so here I go, takin' the curve
I'm doing my best to adapt to life's unexpected twists and turns.
but I know that I'm never alone
Even though life can feel isolating, I know that there are people who support me and care about me.
I think of you, and how you never let me go
When I'm feeling lost or scared, I think of someone who has always been there for me and has never given up on me.
I feel connected, protected
I feel a deep sense of belonging and safety when I think of this person.
its like you're standing right with me all the time
I feel like this person is always by my side and supporting me, even when they're not physically present.
you hear me, you're near me
I feel like this person listens to me and is always there to lend an ear when I need it.
and everything else is gonna be allright
Despite life's challenges, I know that everything will work out in the end because I have this person's support.
cause nothing can break this
This bond between me and this person is unbreakable.
nothing can break this tie
The connection between us is deep and enduring.
its not an accident the time we spent apart
Even though we were apart at times, the fact that we found each other again feels like it was meant to be.
but now we're so close I can always find you right here in my heart
Now that we're back in each other's lives and close again, I feel a deep emotional connection to this person.
you've given me somethin I need, and I dont ever want it to end
I feel that this person has something that I need in my life, and I never want to lose that connection.
everytime that I breath I can feel the energy
I feel invigorated and energized whenever I think of or spend time with this person.
reachin out flowin through you to me and me to you
Our connection is bi-directional, with positive energy flowing both ways.
wake or dream, walk or stand you are everywhere I am
This person is always a part of my life, whether I'm awake or asleep, moving or still.
separate souls unified touching at the speed of light
Even though we are separate individuals, our deep connection unites us in a powerful and enduring way.
connected, connected inside, connected, connected unside, connected
This connection between us is so deep and powerful that it's hard to put into words.
oh yeah
I feel confident and secure knowing that this person is in my life.
Writer(s): JEROME KERN, HERBERT REYNOLDS
Contributed by Reagan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Soulfuljakazz
That descending melismatic run on the word "chosen" is spine-tingling indeed, Erica. Your exclamation is spot on. IMHO, as a song interpreter, Mr. Hartman was peerless.
Marcel Audubon
Beautiful version! I believe you!
Lester Baptiste
His low notes are everything!
Jim Brown
Johnny was one of the great singers, and one of my favorites from the first time I heard him almost sixty years ago. I had the great honor and pleasure of meeting him a few years before he died when I mixed the live broadcast for his contribution from Chicago, his home town, to NPR's New Year's Eve event. His old friend, Billy Taylor was on piano. I remember him saying as he was introduced to the crew "they're so young!" I was 39 or 40 then. The cigarettes killed him a few years later.
Deborah Diem
I love this song. I had this rendition going through my mind, but didn't know who it was. When I saw it was Johnny Horton, I shouldn't have been surprised. My dad, a great lover of jazz and blues, loved his singing. Thanks for posting this.
DAKOTA87
You meant to type Johnny Hartman.
Dr. E
@ 2:15 makes my stomach do somersaults!! *faints* LAWD!!! THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL TO SING THIS GOOD!!!
John Cooper
Superb!
luvperu1
Thank you for posting the great song and singer...
have heard it sung by others but this is the best..
Slow dancing on the terrace mood music :)
Soulfuljakazz
***** You're very welcome, luvperu.