Johnny Mann was a Grammy-winning conductor, arranger and television musical director for over three decades. As the leader of the Johnny Mann Singers vocal group, he became known for defining an easy-listening genre that was the antithesis of the popular music of the 1950s.

Mann was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1928. After high school he served in the Army during the Korean War, where he played trombone in the Army Field Band. After his discharge in 1953, he moved to Los Angeles.

In 1956, he became the choral director for the short-lived NBC Comedy Hour. From the show's vocalists, he formed the Johnny Mann Singers and the group went on to record about 40 albums and create numerous theme songs and radio station jingles. The group's top single was a cover of the 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" and their jingle for KRTH 101 in Los Angeles is still played to this day.

In the 1960s, Mann worked as the musical director for TV programs like The Danny Kaye Show and The Joey Bishop Show, as well as The Alvin Show, where he also provided the voice of the chipmunk Theodore.

He eventually landed his own show, the syndicated variety series Stand Up and Cheer, which ran from 1971–1974. The show was upbeat and patriotic during a time of Vietnam protest and featured guests that included Andy Griffith and the Lennon Sisters.

Mann died June 18, 2014, in Anderson, South Carolina. He was 85.