Johnny Mathis

*Johnny Mathis is Columbia Records longest running recording artist. His first album Johnny Mathis: A New Sound in Popular Song was released in 1956. Since then he has never stopped touring & recording for 65 years!

*2021 marks Johnny’s 65th anniversary as a Recording Artist (62 years with Columbia Records, and 3 years with Mercury Records).

*79 original albums recorded, 6 original Christmas albums (not including compilations). His newest album entitled “Johnny Mathis Sings The Great New American Songbook” was released in September 2017.

*Johnny Mathis is often referred to as “The Voice of Romance” and “The Voice of Christmas”

* Johnny set a new high jump record of 6’-5 1/2” at a track meet at The University of Nevada (Reno) in 1955, beating future NBA star Bill Russell’s former record. They are still friends to this day.

* In 1955 he was offered a recording contract with Columbia Records the same week that he was supposed to leave to compete in the Olympic Game Trials. He chose music, and signed a five-year contract with Columbia around August 30, 1955.

*Johnny’s 1st TV appearance was on The Ed Sullivan Show on June 16th 1957 singing “Its Not For Me To Say”, helping launch him into worldwide stardom. (https://tylerpaper.com/news/local_legends/june-16-gilmers-johnny-mathis-sings-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-in-1957/article_f02b4198-ab4f-11ea-bd7e-3b7e6194cfd3.html)

*His album “Johnny’s Greatest Hits” in 1958 was the first of its kind, and started the long tradition of artists putting out greatest hits albums.

* Johnny’s Greatest Hits went on to become one of the most popular albums of all time and spent an unprecedented 490 continuous weeks (almost ten years) on the BILLBOARD Top Albums Chart. This record has been noted in the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS. (It was knocked out by Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, but unlike Johnny’s album, their album’s record on BILLBOARD was not continuous.)

*His albums have sold millions & millions of copies worldwide.

*50 hits on the BILLBOARD Adult Contemporary charts, joining such notable artists as Elton John, Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond, Elvis Presley, and Barry Manilow.

 *In total, Johnny Mathis has had 43 singles on the BILLBOARD pop charts, 34 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, 50 entries on the Adult Contemporary airplay tally, and 74 albums (including Christmas) on the Billboard 200. https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/podcasts/8077709/pop-shop-podcast-johnny-mathis

*Johnny’s Christmas music has become synonymous with the Holidays. Merry Christmas (1958) achieved multi-platinum status by November 1999, and select tracts are still heard on the radio every holiday season.

*Johnny’s hit holiday single “When A Child Is Born” peaked at #1 for 3 consecutive weeks on the UK Singles charts in 1976. It was released on Nov. 10^th, and 2 days later was certified Gold. https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/8176-2899-1

*Johnny Mathis BILLBOARD Chart History - https://www.billboard.com/music/johnny-mathis

* As of 2013 Johnny has had a hit in every decade of his career thanks to his song “Sending You A Little Christmas” with Jim Brickman, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart.
 

* As of 2016 Johnny Mathis still ranks as the all-time #6 album artist in the history of Billboard’s pop album charts according to Record Historian Joel Whitburn.

*His first #1 hit single was “Chances Are” in 1957, however he didn’t have another #1 hit single until 1978 with “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” a duet with Deniece Williams.

*He has sung duets with Deniece Williams, Barbara Streisand, Billy Joel, Patti Austin, Andy Williams, Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, Dave Koz, Ray Charles, Josh Groban, Bette Midler & many more.

5 Grammy Nominations**

           •          “Misty” in 1960 for Best Male Vocal Performance (Single Record or Track)

           •          "In a Sentimental Mood / Mathis Sings Ellington" in 1992 for Best Traditional Pop Performance (Album)

           •          “Isn’t it Romantic” in 2006 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

           •          “Let It Be Me – Mathis In Nashville” in 2011 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

           •          “Sending You A Little Christmas” in 2014 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

**Although nominated 5 times, Johnny has never won a traditional Grammy Award.

3 Grammy Hall of Fame Inductions

           •          ”Chances Are” (1957 Columbia Single) – Inducted in 1998

           •          ”Misty” (1959 Columbia Single) – Inducted in 2002

           •          ”It’s Not For Me To Say” (1957 Columbia Single) – Inducted in 2008

           •          Received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003

Johnny’s music has appeared over 60 television shows & films including:

           •          Family Ties (theme song with Deniece Williams)

           •          Mad Men

           •          Goodfellas

           •          Desperate Housewives (series finale)

           •          Silver Linings Playbook

           •          Gremlins

           •          Close Encounters of the Third Kind

           •          Same Time Next Year

           •          Behind The Candelabra

           •          Donnie Brasco

           •          Lizzie

           ⁃          To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything!

                     Julie Newmar

           ⁃          Mr. Robot

Johnny has also appeared as himself over 100 times in numerous documentaries, U.S. & International TV shows & specials including:

           •          Hallmark TV’s Home & Family

           •          The Ed Sullivan Show

           •          The Tonight Show

           •          The Oprah Winfrey Show

           •          Nat King Cole: Afraid of the Dark

           •          The Academy & Grammy Awards

           •          The View

           •          The Simpsons

           •          The Muppet Show

           •          Killing Me Softly: The Roberta Flack Story

           •          Soul Train

           •          Top of the Pops

           ⁃          Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things

           ⁃          Criminal Minds

Johnny Mathis - Biography

“There are a number of good singers, a smaller handful of truly great singers,

and then there’s Johnny Mathis.” - Barbra Streisand

The fourth of seven children, John Royce Mathis was born on September 30, 1935 in Gilmer, Texas to Clem & Mildred Mathis. As a small boy, the family moved into a basement apartment on Post Street in San Francisco. At age eight, Johnny’s father Clem purchased an old upright piano for $25, which wouldn't fit through their apartment’s front door. So that evening, he stayed up to watch his father dismantle the piano, move the pieces into their small living room, and then reassemble it. It was there that he learned an appreciation of music from his father who taught him his first song, “My Blue Heaven”. Clem, who worked briefly as a musician back in Texas playing the piano & singing on stage, would continue to teach his son many songs and routines. Johnny had proven to be the most eager of the children to learn all about music. He sang in the church choir, school functions, community events, and amateur shows in the San Francisco area. He was also a successful track & field athlete, and was offered a chance to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials. In that same week Columbia Records called, so Johnny chose to go to New York to record his first album, which released on July 16, 1956. A year later with his 1st appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show Johnny’s career truly launched into stardom.

Best-known for his supremely popular hits like “Chances Are," "It's Not For Me To Say," and "Misty”, Johnny has recorded close to 80 albums, 6 Christmas albums, and has sold millions of records worldwide. During his extensive career he has had 3 songs inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame, achieved 50 Hits on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart, and ranks as the all-time #6 album artist in the history of Billboard’s pop album charts. He has received 5 GRAMMY Nominations, and in 2003 he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. 1958’s “Johnny’s Greatest Hits” started the music industry tradition of “Greatest Hits” albums, which is noted in GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS for a nearly 10 year run on the BILLBOARD Top Albums Chart.

In addition to all this Johnny & his music have appeared in numerous films & TV shows, including Lizzie, The Tonight Show, Silver Linings Playbook, Family Ties, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Mad Men, just to name a few. In 2017 he released his 78^th studio album titled “Johnny Mathis Sings The Great New American Songbook”, and debuted his “lost” 1982 album “I Love My Lady” produced by Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards of the pivotal group CHIC. Johnny continues to be Columbia Records longest signed recording artist, and to fans of all ages The Voice Of Christmas!

In spite of a very busy tour schedule & many charity events, Johnny still finds time to enjoy a little free time. He was an avid tennis player until the late 1960s, when a good friend turned him on to his now life-long love of golf. He plays golf almost every day when he's not traveling, and has even hosted his own golf tournament, The Johnny Mathis Seniors PGA Classic. He is also quite the gourmet chef thanks to his parents, who taught him how to cook at an early age.

After 65 years as a Recording Artist, what’s next for Johnny? “I don’t think about retiring. I think about how I can keep singing for the rest of my life. I just have to pace myself.”