Erroll Garner was inspired to write "Misty" on a flight from San Francisco to Chicago which passed through a thunderstorm: as the plane descended into O'Hare, Garner looked through the window to see a rainbow glowing … See more

Erroll Garner first recorded his rendition of "Misty" on piano on July 27, 1954, accompanied by Wyatt Ruther on bass and Fats Heard on drums. The recording was first released in … See more

Clint Eastwood used the instrumental version in his 1971 film Play Misty for Me, a low-budget film that proved to be a box-office success. Eastwood was said to have paid Garner a $25,000 fee for the right to use the tune in his film. See more

• "Misty" at jazzstandards.com
• Misty chord/melody and solo studies for guitar
• Erroll Garner - Misty on YouTube
• Johnny Mathis - Misty on YouTube See more

Background
Johnny Mathis first heard Erroll Garner play the tune when he was a teenager, and told him that he … See more

• Count Basie, Dance Along with Basie (1959)
• Bing Crosby recorded the song in 1961 for use on his radio show, and it was included on the … See more