Johnny Hartman

Johnny Hartman, a prominent Black crooner of the 1950s and '60s, distinguished himself as a commanding balladeer with notable jazz collaborations, such as the 1963 masterpiece John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman. Born in Chicago, Hartman's early performances while in the Army and his professional debut in the mid-'40s led to recordings with Earl Hines and the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, culminating in a successful solo career highlighted by albums for labels like Bethlehem and Impulse.

Hartman's career peaked with the release of the critically acclaimed John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman in 1963, leading to a series of albums in the late '60s and early '70s for labels such as ABC, Perception, and Blue Note. Despite recording sparingly in the '70s, Hartman made a comeback in 1980 with two albums, receiving a Grammy nomination for Once in Every Life just two years before his passing in 1983.