Johnny Rotella (November 4, 1920 – September 11, 2014) was an American woodwind player, session player, and songwriter. In a career spanning more than six decades, he wrote over 350 songs; performed with legendary Big Bands, on Broadway, and Los Angeles shows; and played on hundreds of studio and on-air sessions with marquee artists of TV and film.
Born into a musical family in Jersey City, New Jersey, Johnny was exposed at an early age to the excitement of performing music. Starting at 15 years old, he began playing clarinet and saxophone with his brother Charles’ Big Band.
Later, as a member of the 389th Army Service Forces Band during WWII, Johnny was stationed at Fort Monmouth in New Jersey. The close proximity to New York City gave him the ability to study with clarinetist Simeon Bellison, saxophonist Joe Allard, and flutist Victor Goldring. Benny Goodman was also studying with Bellison and this is where they met. Benny invited Johnny to play in the band, and told him to “look him up” when he got out of the service… the rest is history!
After WWII ended, Rotella joined Raymond Scott’s band in New York and then the Goodman and Tommy Dorsey bands.
While working in NYC with Dorsey, Johnny used to visit the Brill Building where all the publishers were located at the time and pick up music to play. There he met his future wife, Ann Graziano, sister of Jerry Gray, Glenn Miller’s arranger. Ann’s home was music-filled as well. Her father played accordion and taught it to her, as well as piano. Her sister, Agnes, was Artie Shaw’s copyist. Johnny found the right girl! They married on December 6, 1947. Together, they went on to have five children, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Right after their wedding, Jerry Gray invited Johnny to join his band in Los Angeles, for the daily CBS radio show, Club 15, hosted by Bob Crosby and featuring The Andrews Sisters, The Modernaires and Jo Stafford. Johnny had traveled to LA in 1946 with the Goodman band, and he knew that was where he wanted to be, so he and Ann made the move.
His career took off both in live theatre and casual gigs, and he broke into the TV film business starting with Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club and Farmer John’s Polka Parade. He then played for TV composers - Buddy Baker, Jimmie Haskell, Mike Post and Earle Hagen, to name a few. He became a band regular for the Andy Williams Show, The Frank Sinatra Show, I Spy and the 1970s CBS variety shows The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. His film credits include The Godfather Part 2 and Chinatown. (See list)
He was sought after as a bari sax player and can be heard on “My Old School” by Steely Dan. He is also prominent on flute for The Turtles’ “Happy Together,” sax for Frank Zappa’s “Freak Out,” and twin altos with the Billy Vaughn Orchestra. (See list)
Johnny was a life member of both AFM Locals 47 (Los Angeles) and 802 (New York). He served on the Board of Local 47, and in the 1960’s, he was instrumental in helping establish the Musicians Guild (now the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund).
A songwriter from his high school days, Johnny joined ASCAP in 1954. Always looking to improve his knowledge of music, he studied The Schillinger System of Musical Composition with Disney film composer Franklyn Marks. He wrote regularly with popular lyricists of the 20th century, including Johnny Mercer, Sammy Cahn, Paul Francis Webster, Ray Gilbert, Sidney Clare, Claude Baum, Franz Steininger and Jerry Gladstone.
His songs were recorded by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Doris Day, Frankie Avalon, Slim Whitman, and Ray Conniff Singers, as well as many others. Johnny talks about these songs in the 6-minute video on this page and on the Frank, Dean, and Tony page.
Johnny wrote “Nothing But the Best” for Frank Sinatra. The song was first recorded for Sinatra and Swingin’ Brass in 1962. In 2008, it became the title track for the ten-year compilation album commemorating Sinatra’s passing. His song “I’ve Waited for a Waltz” was recorded by Tony Bennett and is on his 90th birthday CD compilation. Dean chose to record “Just Close Your Eyes” and “Baby O” after Johnny sang them to him!
Johnny’s songs have been synched into films including Adam Sandler’s That’s My Boy, Hope Springs starring Meryl Streep, and Jersey Boys, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Johnny is survived by 5 children: Geraldine Rotella Rotter and son-in-law Peter Rotter, Joanne, John, Bill and Mary Rotella; 7 grandchildren: Jessica, John, Brianna, David, Danielle, Mia and Mason; and 2 great-grandchildren: Viola and Miles.