Johnny Mathis Biography
Johnny Mathis an American singer as well as a songwrite wth several dozens of his albums. He has achieved gold or platinum status. He has has over 360 million records sold worldwide.
He has world’s biggest selling artists of the 20th century, him being in position three. He has earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award accompanied by an induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame for three separate recordings.
Many people refer to him as a romantic singer. Most of his music entails traditional pop, Brazilian and Spanish music, soul music among many others. He has as well disco songs in his 1979 album this Magic. He as well recorded six Christmas albums. His major influences include Lena Horne, Bing Crosby as well as Nat King Cole.
Johnny Mathis Age
Johnny was born on September 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas, United States.
Johnny Mathis Show biz Millionaire
He has featured on the popular TV program The Ed Sullivan Show in June 1957 helped increase his popularity. In 1957, he released Chances Are which became his second single to sell 1 million. In November 1957, he 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.
The week before his appearance at the Academy Awards, Johnny’s Greatest Hits was released. The album spent an unprecedented 490 consecutive weeks through 1967 (nine and a half years) on the Billboard top 200 album charts including three weeks at number one.
It held the record for the most number of weeks on the top Billboard 200 albums in the US for 15 years until Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon reached 491 weeks in October 1983. 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 the category, Best Original Song.
By the end of the year, he was set to earn $1 million a year. Critics called him “the velvet voice”. During the summer of 1958, Mathis moved from San Francisco with the Nogas. They then sold their interest in the Black Hawk club that year and moved to Beverly Hills, California. The Nogas then bought a house where they lived with Mathis.
He appeared on ABC’s The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom on January 1, 1959. Mathis had two of his greatest hits in 1962 and 1963, with “Gina” (#6) and “What Will Mary Say” (#9). In 1978, Mathis recorded “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” with singer Deniece Williams. The lyrics and music were arranged by Nat Kipner and John McIntyre Vallins.
Released as a single in 1978, it rose to number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. In addition, it shot to number 9 on the Canadian Singles Chart, and number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. It also topped the US R&B and adult contemporary charts. His work, “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” was certified gold and silver in the US and in the UK by the RIAA and the British Phonographic Industry respectively. It was his first number one song since his 1957 chart-topping “Chances Are”.
The duo released a follow-up collabo, “You’re All I Need to Get By,” rising to number 47 on the Hot 100. The success of the collabos with Williams prompted Mathis to record duets with a variety of many other musicians. This includes his collabo with Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, to mention but a few.
Johnny Mathis Net Worth
Mathis has an estimated net worth of $400 million.
Johnny Mathis Height and Weight
Johnny stands tall at an average height, he as well has an average body weight.
Johnny Mathis Education
Johnny used to sing whether at home, school, or church functions. He as well had a voice coach who was called Connie Cox. He accepted him at the age of thirteen as her student in exchange for work around her house. Cox trained Johnny for a period of six years.
He learned vocal scales and exercises, voice production, classical and operatic singing. He then joined a band in high school which was formed by his friend Merl Saunders. During Saunders’s funeral, Johnny eulogized. Saunders dies in 2008.
He played for George Washington High School in San Francisco. He was good at basketball, high jump, and hurdles. He joined San Francisco State College in 1964, on an athletic scholarship. He wanted to be an English teacher and a physical teacher. Ther, he et a high jump record of 6′-5 1/2″. This is of the college’s top jump heights. He was only two inches short of the Olympic record at the time.
He mentioned in the sports sections of the Northern California newspapers when he was in high school.JOhnny 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 #1 & Mathis #2 in the City of San Francisco at that time).
Johnny Mathis Family
Johnny was born to Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd. He is the fourth of seven children of his parents. His family relocated to San Francisco where they settled on 32nd Avenue in the Richmond District. Johnny’s dad worked in vaudeville. After seeing his son’s talent in singing, Clem bought him an old upright piano for $25 (US$356 in 2018 dollars).
Johnny Mathis Siblings
Johnny was raised up along with his six siblings named Ralph Mathis, Elizabeth Mathis, Michael Mathis, Marguerite McMillian, and Linda Mathis.
Johnny Mathis Wife
Mathis has kept his love life secret. He is living a very low-key life. Moreover, he has successfully kept his marriage life far away from the public.
Johnny Mathis Gay
Johnny Mathis is openly gay. He shared in a 1982 interview with Us Weekly that homosexuality is a way of life that he has become accustomed to. He got death threats as a result of that comment and as such was forced to keep that aspect of his life private.
Johnny Mathis Partner
Johnny Mathis has been in a relationship with Estelle Bennett. Johnny Mathis has as well had encounters with Deniece Williams, Patti Austin, Mitch Miller, George Avakian, and Regina Belle.
Johnny Mathis Drugs & Alcohol Addiction
Johnny had been a victim of drug abuse and addiction. He has been in rehabilitation for both alcohol and prescription drug addictions. He was able to recover and has supported many organizations over the years, which include: the American Cancer Society, the NAACP, the March of Dimes, the YWCA as well as YMCA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association.