Johnny Mathis

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Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis, 1959
Background information
Birth name	John Royce Mathis
Born	September 30, 1935 (age 71)
Origin	Gilmer, Texas United States
Genre(s)	Pop, Jazz, Latin
Occupation(s)	Singer, songwriter
Years active	1956–present
Label(s)	Columbia, Mercury
Website	www.JohnnyMathis.com

John Royce Mathis (b. September 30, 1935), known popularly as Johnny Mathis, is an American Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter of popular music.

The last in a long line of traditional male vocalists who emerged before the rock-dominated 1960s, Mathis concentrated on romantic jazz and pop standards for the adult contemporary audience through to the 1980s. Starting his career with a standard flurry of singles, Mathis was far more popular as an album artist, with several dozens of his albums receiving gold and platinum status and more than sixty made the Billboard charts.

[edit] Career

Johnny Mathis in concert at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, on May 25, 2006.

Mathis was born fourth of seven children in Gilmer, Texas to Clem and Mildred Mathis. The family moved when he was young to San Francisco, California on Post Street, in the famous Fillmore district where he was raised. His father worked for a time in vaudeville, and when he saw the budding talent in his son, the elder Mathis bought an old upright piano for US$25 to encourage his efforts. Mathis began learning from his father songs and routines–his first song being, "My Blue Heaven."^[1] Mathis started out singing and dancing for visitors at home, and later publicly, at school and church events.^[2]

At thirteen, Mathis was taken to Connie Cox, a San Francisco Bay Area voice teacher, who accepted him as a student in exchange for work he would do around her house. He studied with Cox for six years, learning vocal scales and exercises, voice production, classical and operatic skills.^[3] He remains one of the few popular singers who has received years of professional voice training that included opera.

At George Washington High School, Mathis was well known, not only for his singing abilities, but also as a star athlete. On the track and field team, he was a high jumper and hurdler, and on the basketball team, he earned four athletic letters. In 1954, Mathis enrolled at San Francisco State College on a scholarship with the intention of becoming an English and physical education teacher. Mathis remains an important part of San Francisco State College's sports history—in 1954 he broke future basketball great Bill Russell's high jump record by jumping 6 ft 5 in (1.96 meters).

He was spotted by Helen Noga, owner of The Black Hawk club, at a jam session and she became his manager. In September 1955, after Noga landed Mathis a job singing weekends at Ann Dee’s 440 Club, she ruthlessly pursued jazz producer George Avakian, who she found out was on vacation in the Bay Area. Avakian came to see him sing, and sent the now famous telegram to Columbia Records: Have found phenomenal 19-year old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts.^[2]

Mathis now had to decide whether to go to the Olympic tryouts, to which he had been invited, or to keep an appointment in New York to make his first recordings, which were subsequently released in 1956. With his father's advice, Mathis opted for a recording career and the rest is history. He has never completely abandoned his enthusiasm for sports and today is an avid golfer who has achieved five holes-in-one, and has hosted several Johnny Mathis Golf Tournaments in the USA and the United Kingdom. Since 1985 he has been hosting a charity golf tournament in Belfast sponsored by Shell corporation, and the annual Johnny Mathis Invitational Track & Field Meet has continued at San Francisco State College since it started in 1982.

His first album Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song was a slow selling jazz album, but Mathis stayed in New York to play the clubs. His second album was produced by Columbia records vice-president and producer Mitch Miller, who defined the Mathis sound - he preferred him to sing soft, romantic ballads. In late 1956, Mathis recorded two of his most popular songs - "Wonderful, Wonderful" and "It's Not For Me To Say." That year MGM signed Mathis to sing the latter song in the 1957 film Lizzie, and shortly afterward he made his second film appearance for 20th Century Fox singing the title song in A Certain Smile -he had small acting roles in both movies as a bar singer. This early cinematic visibility in two successful movies gave him mass exposure. Next, was his appearance on the very popular Ed Sullivan show in 1957 and this helped to seal his stardom. Critics called him the velvet voice.^[1]

Johnny Mathis: Casual in White, 1964.

In 1958, Mathis left San Francisco with the Nogas, and moved to Beverly Hills where he shared a home with them. In 1964, there was a severe downturn in sales for many artists due to The Beatles and the British invasion of the early 1960s, around the time Mathis and the Nogas ended their business relationship. Mathis purchased a mansion in the Hollywood Hills, that was originally built by billionaire Howard Hughes, and where he yet maintains a residence.

Mathis established Jon Mat Records, Inc. to produce his recordings, and Rojon Productions, Inc. to handle all of his concert, theater, showroom and television appearances, and all promotional and charitable activities. His new manager and business partner was Ray Haughn, who helped guide his career until his death in September 1984. Since that time, Mathis has taken sole responsibility for his career, operating from office suites in Burbank. With the exception of a three-year break with Mercury Records in the mid-1960s, he has been with Columbia Records throughout his recording career.

Although he is frequently described as a romantic singer, his vast discography includes jazz, traditional pop, Brazilian and Spanish music, Soul, R&B, soft rock, Broadway, Tin Pan Alley standards, some blues and country songs, and even a few disco tunes for his album Mathis Magic (1979). Mathis also remains highly associated with holiday music, having recorded nine Christmas albums. According to British recorded Chart Historian and Gunness writer Paul Gambacinni Mathis has recorded over 110 albums and sold more than 350 million records worldwide.^[4] If accurate, this would make Mathis the third most successful male recording artist ever.^[5] He was given the title The Voice Of Romance. Mathis has the distinction of having the longest stay of any recording artist on the Columbia Record label, having been with the label from 1956 to 1963 and from 1968 to the present.

In 1958, Johnny’s Greatest Hits was released and was the first ever Greatest Hits album in the music industry. It began the Greatest Hits tradition copied by every record company. Johnny's Greatest Hits spent an unprecedented 490 consecutive weeks (nine and a half years) on the Billboard Album Chart; a feat unmatched by any other recording artist in history, earning him a place in the Guinness Book Of World Records. He has had five of his albums on the Billboard charts simultaneously, an achievement equaled by only two other singers, Frank Sinatra and Barry Manilow. He released 200 singles and had 71 songs charted around the world. He is the third largest album seller and Frank Sinatra's main rival in sales from 1957 to 1987. Mathis is one of only a few recording artist whose career has spanned six decades and selling over 350 million records worldwide.

He has received three Grammy awards. In 1979, his hit duet "The Last Time I Felt Like This" from the film Same Time, Next Year was nominated for an Oscar award. Mathis and Jane Olivor sang the song at the Oscar ceremony televised to over two billion people around the world. This was his second performance at the Oscar awards - another historic achievement. He has taped twelve of his own television specials and made over 300 television guests appearances with 33 of them being on the Tonight Show. Through the years his songs (or parts of them) have been heard in 100 plus television shows and films around the globe. His appearance on the Live By Request broadcast in May 1998 on the A&E Network had the largest television viewing audience of the series.

Mathis continues to perform but from 2000 onwards has limited his concert engagements to fifty to sixty appearances per year. For 2006, he is scheduled for a UK tour that includes his annual Scottish Golf vacation and attendance at the 2006 Ryder Cup, two stints at his favourite Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. He still records occasionally and his latest album Isn't It Romantic: The Standards Album (2004) has been enthusiastically received by critics and music buyers. Tonight Show host Johnny Carson, who heard over 2000 singers on his show, said: "Johnny Mathis is the best ballad singer in the world." He appeared on the NBC Tonight Show with Jay Leno^[6] as a guest on March 29th, 2007 performing the classic "Shadow of Your Smile" with Saxophonist Dave Koz.

[edit] Personal life

A 1982 Us Magazine article quoted Mathis as having said, "Homosexuality is a way of life that I've grown accustomed to." He further confirmed a sexual relationship with a male saxophonist. After more than twenty years of silence on the subject, in 2006, Mathis revealed in an interview his silence was due to death threats he received as a result of that 1982 article.^[7][8] On April 13, 2006 Mathis granted a podcast interview with The Strip in which he touched on the subject once again.^[9]

Mathis enjoys cooking which he learned from his mother. He likes family gatherings with his six brothers and sisters and their families. In 1982 the published a cookbook Cooking for You Alone.

There were paternity lawsuits in the 1960s from his female involvements and in 1974 it was reported in an issue of Coronet Magazine that he was the father of two children (a girl and a boy). Mathis has never publicly commented on this and the court has sealed the lawsuits from public scrutiny.

He is an avid golfer, and in his earlier years he excelled at other sports including high jumping, tennis, and basketball.

Among the many organizations that have benefited from his generosity through the years are: The Cancer Society, March Of Dimes, YWCA, YMCA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and NAACP.

[edit] Trivia

• Mathis is the first black entertainer to become a millionaire before the age of 21 and is one of the wealthiest entertainers in the world.
• He is the first entertainer to perform to integrated audiences in South Africa in 1977.
• Johnny Mathis has the distinction of being the first recording artist to have a greatest hits album released. The album, simply titled Johnny's Greatest Hits was released in 1958 and peaked at number one in Billboard's Pop Album charts. It would stay on the charts for nearly ten years, a feat unequaled until 1973 by Pink Floyd's album, The Dark Side of the Moon.
• His hit song "When a Child is Born" reached sales of 120,000 copies a day for 28 days in 1976.
• He was the first choice to sing the theme song to the James Bond film Moonraker, however it was Shirley Bassey's version which was finally used.
• Mathis has recorded with a list of artists that includes: Barbra Streisand, Dionne Warwick, Nana Mouskouri, Gladys Knight, Deniece Williams, Angela Bofill, Jane Olivor, Stephanie Lawrence, Henry Mancini, Paulette McWilliams, Ray Charles, Take Six, Natalie Cole, Patti Austin, Michel Legrand, Regina Belle, Liza Minnelli, Toots Thielemans, Lena Horne, Dave Koz, Bette Midler
• Mathis sang "Over The Rainbow" with Ray Charles and was honoured by Ray's request that the song be played at his memorial service.
• During his April 13, 2006 interview he reveals that among his close friends are actor Kirk Douglas and former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Regarding the latter, he stated that "It's Not For Me To Say" is her favorite song.
• He has performed for more heads of state than any other performer, with six performances at the White House and two command performances for the British Royal Family; the Japanese Prime Minister, the President of Liberia and numerous other presidents, royalty and prime ministers.
• Mathis was one of the first celebrities to market and be associated with a perfume, Arianne, named after one of his songs way back in the 1970s. Other major advertising ventures included Avon Cosmetics (1974); he was the poster celebrity in a Lauder's Scotch advertisement (1973) and he was the star of the massive GAP Christmas commercial (2002) campaign televised across North America and seen repeatedly by over 200 million people for one month.
• American Music Club has a song on their album Mercury that features Mathis as a character, called "Johnny Mathis' Feet". (The song was also covered by The Divine Comedy.)

Johnny Mathis' worldwide recording sales have hit 350 million making him the third biggest selling male artist from the USA after 1st Elvis Presley and 2nd Frank Sinatra.

• From 1989 to 1991, Johnny's voice was heard in the theme song for the soap opera Loving.
• Mathis and Deniece Williams can be heard singing the theme song for the popular '80s sitcom Family Ties.

[edit] Quotations

• "In other words, the celebrity gets out of hand, and if you're not careful, you will forget what you are about, and that is you are about making music that people want to hear." - Johnny Mathis
• "His voice is one of the most distinctive and instantly recognizable in the world. He epitomizes class and romance." - Frank Sinatra
• "Johnny Mathis is the master song salesman." - Bing Crosby
• "He's always been one of my favorite singers ever since I saw him on the Ed Sullivan show when I was thirteen years old. It was a thrill singing with him." - Barbra Streisand
• "I love the house that I've been living in for over 40 years. I really am a homebody and I still love to play golf." - Johnny Mathis.^[10]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Selected Hit Singles

The following songs reached either the top 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100 or the top 10 on the Adult Contemporary singles chart. Billboard began publishing AC singles charts in 1961.

Each of the above were issued under the Columbia Records label with the exception of the duet with Dionne Warwick, "Friends In Love," which was released under Warwick's label, Arista Records.

[edit] Other Noteworthy Songs

Mathis has had much more success as an albums artist. His albums achieved success in part due to their reputation as an accompaniment to lovemaking. Some of his celebrated early albums include:

[edit] Bibliography

• Mathis, Johnny; Brash, Peter; Birch, Marge (1982). Cooking for You Alone. Pasadena, CA: Tech. Educ. Co.. ISBN 0939402009. 

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Johnny Mathis at the Internet Broadway Database
• Johnny Mathis at the Internet Movie Database
• Johnny Mathis at the Notable Names Database

• Johnny Mathis Official website
• Johnny Mathis at Sony website
• Mathis, Johnny-AMG discography — All Music Guide
• Johnny Mathis at The Mathis Chronicles
• Johnny Mathis NPR Audio: with Ed Gordon
• Dave Koz f/ Johnny Mathis "The Shadow of Your Smile" NBC Audio: The Tonight Show