Multi-platinum and Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner Johnny Mathis is returning to The Villages. as part of “The Voice of Romance Tour” at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center.
“The Voice of Romance Tour” will make a stop at 7 p.m. Thursday at The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center.
The upcoming concert holds special significance for Victory Productions founder Fernando Varela, as it reconnects him once again with the legendary crooner.
“Johnny Mathis is not just a singer, he’s an institution,” Varela said. “He brings more than just nostalgia — he brings a performance that spans generations. We are incredibly excited to host him again in The Villages, where we know his music touches the hearts of so many.”
Mathis: ‘If you love what you do, you can live a long and happy life’
WGN Radio’s Dave Plier is joined by music legend and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee Johnny Mathis to reminisce on his life and career; from growing up in a full house, to record breaking track and field feats, night clubs, and more.
Johnny Mathis Net Worth
What Is Johnny Mathis’ Net Worth?
Johnny Mathis is an American singer who has a net worth of $400 million. Johnny Mathis is best known for his hit songs and albums. During his career to date, Mathis has released more than 70 studio albums, and he has sold more than 350 million records, making him the 20th century’s third-best-selling artist. Twelve of Johnny’s studio albums have reached the top 10 on the “Billboard” 200 chart, and many of them have been certified Gold or Platinum.
Early Life
Johnny Mathis was born John Royce Mathis on September 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas. He was the fourth of seven children of Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd. They moved to San Francisco and settled in the Richmond District, where Mathis grew up. His father had worked in vaudeville, and when he noticed his son’s talent for music, he bought an old upright piano and encouraged him to learn. Johnny began learning songs and routines from his father, his first song learned being “My Blue Heaven” He then began dancing and singing for visitors at his home and at school and church functions.
When he was 13, Johnny began working with a voice coach named Connie Cox. He studied with her for six years learning vocal scales, exercises, and voice production. He also learned classical and operatic singing. Mathis was a star athlete at George Washington High School and enrolled in 1952 at San Francisco State College on an athletic scholarship. He intended to become either an English teacher or a Physical Education teacher.
Career
Mathis got his start in the music industry at age 19 when he was spotted at an impromptu jam session by Helen Noga. Noga owned multiple nightclubs, along with her husband, and began managing Mathis after having worked with some of the era’s most talented jazz musicians. Together, the two began booking him multiple gigs, leading to a growing following and eventual record deal signed with Columbia Records.
Johnny’s first LP was released in 1956, and shortly after, he released his first album, “Johnny Mathis: A New Sound in Popular Song.” It was slow-selling, but he stayed in New York City to sing in nightclubs. He recorded his two most popular songs during this time, “Wonderful! Wonderful!” and “It’s Not for Me to Say.”
Johnny’s appearance on “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. In November 1957, Mathis released “Wild is the Wind,” which was featured in the film of the same name. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and Mathis performed the song at the awards ceremony in March 1958.
His next album, “Johnny’s Greatest Hits,” spent an unbelievable 490 consecutive weeks and nine and a half years on the “Billboard” 200 chart, including three weeks in the #1 spot. It held the record for the largest number of weeks on the “Billboard” 200 chart for 15 years until Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” reached 491 weeks in October 1983. In 1958, Johnny made his second film appearance, singing the song “A Certain Smile” in the film of the same title. The song was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.
Mathis left San Francisco in the summer of 1958 with the Nogas, and they moved to Beverly Hills, where the Nogas bought a house and Mathis lived with the family. On New Year’s Day in 1959, Mathis appeared on ABC’s “The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom.” He had two of his biggest hits in 1962 and 1963 with “Gina” and “What Will Mary Say.”
By 1964, Johnny had parted ways with the Nogas and established Jon Mat Records, incorporated in California on May 11, 1964, to produce his recordings. Mathis continued making music, but the rising popularity of the Beatles and early ’70s rock kept his recordings out of the pop singles charts until he experienced a resurgence in popularity in the late ’70s, beginning with the Christmas single “When a Child is Born,” which reached #1 in the UK. In 1978, he recorded a duet with Deniece Williams called “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late.” It hit #1 on the “Billboard” Hot 100 chart and was certified Gold and Silver in the U.S. and the UK, respectively. It was Johnny’s first #1 hit since 1957. The duo released a follow-up duet, “You’re All I Need to Get By,” which peaked at #47 on the “Billboard” Hot 100. The success of the duets inspired Mathis to record others with a variety of partners, including Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, and several others.
Mathis continues to perform live, but from 2000 forward, he limited his concert performances to fifty per year. He is one of the last pop singers who still travels with his own full orchestra, as opposed to a band. Johnny carries the distinction of having the longest tenure of any recording artist on the Columbia label, along with Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, and Bruce Springsteen. He’s had five of his albums on the “Billboard” charts at the same time, an achievement reached by only two other singers, Frank Sinatra and Barry Manilow. Mathis has released 200 singles, and more than 70 of them charted around the world. Longtime “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson stated, “Johnny Mathis is the best ballad singer in the world.” Mathis has taped 12 of his own TV specials and made over 300 television guest appearances over the course of his career.
Personal Life
Mathis is also known for his love of sports, as well as his natural athletic talent. In fact, he could have potentially been an Olympic athlete but missed the tryouts for the high jump. He remains an avid golfer to this day and has achieved nine holes in one. He has hosted several Johnny Mathis Golf Tournaments in the UK and the U.S. Since 1985, he has hosted a charity golf tournament in Belfast.
