Johnny Mathis Interview in Miami, Fla. (January 25, 1976)

ENTERTAINER JOHNNY MATHIS (SOT) WITH DARRYLE POLLACK.
John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum status and 73 making the Billboard charts. Mathis has received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame for three recordings.
Although frequently described as a romantic singer, his discography includes traditional pop, Brazilian and Spanish music, soul, rhythm and blues, show tunes, Tin Pan Alley, soft rock, blues, country music, and even a few disco songs for his album Mathis Magic in 1979. Mathis has also recorded six albums of Christmas music. In a 1968 interview, Mathis cited Lena Horne, Nat King Cole, and Bing Crosby among his musical influences.[2]
Early life and education[edit]
Mathis was born in Gilmer, Texas on September 30, 1935,[3] the fourth of seven children of Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd, both domestic cooks.[4][5] The family moved to San Francisco when Johnny was five years old,[6] settling on 32nd Avenue in the Richmond District, where Mathis would grow up.
His father had worked in vaudeville as a singer and pianist, and upon realizing his son's talent, bought an old upright piano for $25 (US$385 in 2021 dollars[7]) and encouraged his music. Mathis began learning songs and routines from his father; his parents also ran his fan club. His first song was "My Blue Heaven".[8] Mathis started singing and dancing for visitors at home, at school, and at church functions.[9]
When Mathis was 13, voice teacher Connie Cox accepted him as her student in exchange for work around her house.[10] Mathis studied with Cox for six years, learning vocal scales and exercises, voice production, classical and operatic singing. The first band he sang with was formed by his high school friend Merl Saunders. Mathis eulogized Saunders at his funeral in 2008, thanking him for giving Mathis his first chance as a singer.
Mathis was a star athlete at George Washington High School in San Francisco. He was a high jumper and hurdler, and he played on the basketball team. In 1954, he enrolled at San Francisco State College on an athletic scholarship, intending to become an English teacher and a physical education teacher.[10] While there, Mathis set a high-jump record of 1.97 m (6 ft 5+1⁄2 in). This is still one of the college's top jump heights and was only 7 cm (3 in) short of the 1952 Olympic record of 2.04 m (6 ft 8+1⁄2 in). He and future NBA star Bill Russell were featured in a 1954 sports section article of the San Francisco Chronicle demonstrating their high-jumping skills (Russell was #1 and Mathis was #2 in the city of San Francisco at that time).
Early years[edit]
While singing at a Sunday afternoon jam session with a friend's jazz sextet at the Black Hawk Club in San Francisco, Mathis attracted the attention of the club's co-founder, Helen Noga. She became his music manager, and found Mathis a job singing weekends at Ann Dee's 440 Club.
At San Francisco State, Mathis had become noteworthy as a high jumper, and in 1956 he was asked to try out for the U.S. Olympic Team that would travel to Melbourne that November.[3] On his father's advice, Mathis opted to embark on a professional singing career.
Showbiz millionaire[edit]
Mathis' appearance on the popular TV program The Ed Sullivan Show in June 1957 helped increase his popularity. Later that year he released "Chances Are", which became his second single to sell a million copies.[11] In November 1957, Mathis released "Wild Is the Wind", which featured in the film of the same name and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He performed the song at the ceremony in March 1958.
Mathis in 1960
The week before his appearance at the Academy Awards, Johnny's Greatest Hits was released. The album spent an unprecedented 490 consecutive weeks (nearly nine and one-half years) on the Billboard top 200 album charts,[12] including three weeks at number one. It held the record for the most weeks on the top Billboard 200 albums in the US for 15 years, until Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon (March 1973) reached 491 weeks in October 1983.[13]
Later in 1958, Mathis made his second film appearance for 20th Century Fox, singing the song "A Certain Smile" in the film of that title. The song was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song. By the end of the year, he was set to earn $1 million a year.[11] Critics called him "the velvet voice".[8] In 1962, Ebony magazine listed Mathis as one of 30-35 millionaires on their list of "America's 100 Richest Negroes".[14][15] Mathis had two of his biggest hits in 1962 and 1963, with "Gina" (number 6) and "What Will Mary Say" (number 9).

[@ColonelSponsz]

Eminament symphatique Johnny Mathis , fan de puis 1958 !!! Longue vie a toi !!!❤❤❤❤

[@adarosanaromerodelatorre6022]

Hermoso hombre… siempre!!! ❤❤