Happy Birthday Johnny Mathis!

Always a class act! An incredibly talented and powerful singer.

Lovely person

Mathis's song "Misty" was used in the film "Play Misty for Me," starring Clint Eastwood as a radio DJ stalked by a deranged female fan, played by Jessica Walter.

"Chances Are" was played during an extraterrestrial visit in the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).

"Wonderful! Wonderful!" was also used in the conclusion to the long-running TV series Desperate Housewives as "Karen McClusky" died.

Mathis songs have been played more recently in the TV series Mad Men, which also features a recurring minor character named "John Mathis."

Loved Johnny Mathis forever. I saw him n concert 20 years ago. What a voice. No one else like him. Quite a night to remember.

Johnny Mathis is a national treasure. I hope he's in good health.

Wonderful! Wonderful! was used in the notorious X-Files episode Home.

My favorite duet: Johnny Mathis and Jane Olivor

"The Last Time I Felt Like This" from the movie "Same Time Next Year"

Yellow Roses On Her Gown is my favorite

Kennedy Center: Please honor Johnny Mathis.

What are you waiting for? The man is a legend.

I'm seeing him in concert on Oct. 27. Can't wait.

Johnny Mathis - Chances Are (1957)

His voice makes you melt.

He lives on Oahu and is quite the cringy lech. Had the reputation of ordering pizza and suddenly finding he had no cash when it was delivered, wondering if there was *something* he could do instead.

Johnny Mathis - Begin The Beguine 1982

A classic...

That Old Black Magic

R12 It's fun to make up stupid stuff, isn't it?

R12. We don't want to hear it.

R14. Great song

Johnny Mathis? Eh? Meh.

The reason behind Johnny's vocal "staying power" is that, as a youth, he took vocal lessons from a professional teacher/coach. She taught him how to sing properly and powerfully without ruining his vocal chords; however, because he had very little money at the time, he agreed to clean her home from top to bottom once a week in exchanges for these lessons. I'd wager that he got the better end of that bargain!

God love ya, Johnny! You ARE THE BEST!!!

[quote] "My favorite duet: Johnny Mathis and Jane Olivor. "The Last Time I Felt Like This" from the movie "Same Time Next Year"

You beat me to it, R7!

Oh, dear! R19. It's "cords."

My parents took me to Las Vegas when I was in 11th grade, and I saw Ike and Tina opening for Johnny. I was a little young to appreciate it, but I do now.

He came out in the SEVENTIES. That took balls of steel.

R20. I love Johnny, but I'm a Jane Olivor fanatic. I have all of her albums, seen her in concert multiple times, met her once. She blows me away.

87?

She's old!

[quote] He came out in the SEVENTIES. That took balls of steel.

Sort of.

He kinda came out in the same way Dusty Springfield came out.....subtly and gently. And not really being in, for one.

His career fared much better than hers, for sure. He had a nice resurgence in the late 70s/early 80s.

Any love for the Deniece Williams duets?

Emotion (Bee Gees):

I always thought "It's Not For Me to Say" was about a gay pickup

Johnny covers a disco song from the shelved Karen Carpenter solo album:

R7 and R 20, my favorite too and I LOVE the movie.

That clip was in a recent poll, R7.

Vote here:

Johnny and Jane on Oprah:

Great duet with Johnny and Jane. Jane Olivor is the best and most emotional singer ever. She's Streisand and Edith Piaf rolled into one. Jane should have been a huge magastar. But luckily her cult following love her and is mesmerized by her.

Wow I never realized he sold that many records. I've seen his pictures in youth and he was beautiful. Classy guy. He's openly gay and should be a gay icon.

Mathis was a star when people had voices. Now singers can't sing.

Johnny Mathis is loved but not really a gay icon because he didn't come out when gay liberation was the news of the day. He was of a different generation when stars didn't come out publicly but instead was a more gradual thing or were outed such as Rock Hudson, Richard Chamberlain, Tab Hunter, Jim Nabors, etc. Johnny Mathis began his career in the 1950s singing romantic ballads. It wasn't the right time.

But Johnny is a massive talent, and it's good to know that he didn't spend his entire career in the closet. People love him. You can't say anything bad about Johnny Mathis.

If you look at Johnny Mathis' website, he's still steadily touring. Wow, I wonder what his voice sounds like at 87. Anyway, he was a great talent. Hope he still has it.

[quote] Johnny Mathis is loved but not really a gay icon because he didn't come out when gay liberation was the news of the day. He was of a different generation when stars didn't come out publicly but instead was a more gradual thing or were outed such as Rock Hudson, Richard Chamberlain, Tab Hunter, Jim Nabors, etc. Johnny Mathis began his career in the 1950s singing romantic ballads. It wasn't the right time.

Men are not gay icons. Gay men loathe openly gay male celebrities.

However, Mathis was known to be gay by everyone in the industry from his earliest days. Frank Sinatra -- jealous of Mathis' commerical success -- christened him "The African Queen." Mathis came out to the public inadvertently in the early 80s in a magazine interview and got immediate backlash.

[quote] ". I love Johnny, but I'm a Jane Olivor fanatic. I have all of her albums, seen her in concert multiple times, met her once. She blows me away."

R7/R24 The ONLY negative thing I can say about her vocals is that I could stand a little less vibrato on occasion. However, I LOVE the way her voice rings like crystal. It's gorgeous. The link below is my favorite version of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows", and it happens to be Jane Olivor's recording. The arrangement itself is just as great as her vocal performance.

R31 I love that movie too! In college, I designed the costumes for a community production of the play and it was an absolute blast, because it passes through thirty or so years of the Twentieth Century. I'd design it again in a heartbeat.

[quote] "She's Streisand and Edith Piaf rolled into one. "

I've tried to describe her voice to others before, but came up short. I never thought about it this way, but it's dead-on accurate, R34.

I love “Wonderful, Womderful.” Plus he did great movie thieve songs. He did “Best of Everything.” Didn’t he also do “Imitation of Life?”

THEME songs not Theive songs^ Another one - “Play Misty For Me!”

Johnny Mathis gave an interview in US magazine in 1982 which said in part "“Homosexuality is a way of life I’ve become accustomed to.”. All hell broke loose. Death threats, push back from prominent members of African American community....

JM remained largely quite on the subject until another interview in 2017 when he set record straight, coming out officially as it were.

Is it true he posed for Playgirl but then made them not publish the photos?

"He had the choice to either go to the Olympics in track and field or do a recording. He chose the latter, and what a career he's had! He also posed full-frontal nude for Playgirl, but changed his mind about having them published, decided to purchase the photos and negatives and hide them in a safe. Will they ever appear? He was very cute and had an athlete's bod, come on Johnny - I bet they are "Wonderful, Wonderful!"

His Christmas album is an enduring staple. There is no Christmas without Johnny!

I know Johnny came out in a CBS Sunday Morning interview.

Or didn't come out per se, but discussed it more explicitly than he had previously.

R38, I don't think gay men loathe all gay celebs. I know Tab Hunter, Rock Hudson, etc have fans here

Hillside collapses in front of Johnny Mathis' Hollywood Hills home, crushes singer's Jaguar

Your prayers and tears for Johnny Mathis.

Still sounds great!

R49 And looks amazing at 88!

Is there some particular reason he has not gotten a Kennedy Center honor? Nothing nefarious intended. Could it be he has turned it down?

It's inexplicable that he has yet to be honored. The man truly is a legend.

Radio City Music Hall. Probably the best concert I've ever been to.

One of my Desert Island Discs.

R51 Because he's a fag.

He must have taken excellent care of his voice, judging from the performance at r49.

He also looks better letting his hair go natural in that clip at R49. The black dye and whatever else he had going on up there before looked like it might go Guilani.

I grew up listening to him as my mom loved his voice. I agree that an Kennedy Center award is long over due.

Who's had him?

'Wild is the Wind'

What is WRONG with the Kennedy Center selection board? I cannot BELIEVE he doesn't have one!!

I Do not believe he has sold 400 million albums. Not by a long shot

Believe this, R59.

I hope Johnny writes his autobiography before he goes.

Am I the only one who didn't know Johnny Mathis is black? I thought he was Hispanic.

Loved when on “Mad Men,” Don commented that everything he sings sounds like a Christmas song.

My mom used to do hair at a beauty shop on South Street in Philadelphia during the late fifties to early sixties. A lot of black entertainment folks and their support staff would come to get their hair done before showtime. Johnny and his people came over once. Everyone loved Johnny. He was seen cruising along South Street looking for Italian boys.

My memory of him coming out - very matter-of-factly, even incidentally - was as part of a US magazine profile, circa 1981.

The voice of an angel if the angel is a Neo-Caravaggio one with a ski nose, a mechanical vibrato and a catch in his get-along.

Johnny tried to pick up a friend of mine in LA in the 80s. He was walking to Venice Beach one day, and Johnny pulled up in his convertible and asked my friend if he needed a ride. My friend declined.

Fool. Think of the stories he could've told.

r60 anyone could have input that sales figure in his wiki. Probably Johnny himself. there is no evidence of him selling even a fraction of 400 or 360 million album units worldwide. He hasn't even sold 10 million albums in the world's largest music market - the US. That 400 million figure is ludicrous.

Gawd he was handsome! ❤️

Okay, R68, I see you're the brilliant troll who finds those titles you've coined in the book threads to be so hilarious. Enough said.

R70 is probably JM

I have personally seen at least 400 million Johnny Mathis records from my decades of shopping in thrift stores.

There are very few grandparent and great-grandparent record collections without a JM component.

I watched Johnny Mathis rehearse prior to his concert. He was incredible. I was setting up his dressing room and he walked in unexpectedly. He was down to earth and very friendly. No false airs. He spent two hours in front of the hotel he was staying in signing the cover of his fans album covers. His voice sounded no different in June of 2012 than it did years ago. He was simply a first class act all the way.

On the other hand Frankie Valli of The Four Seasons was obnoxious. There really isn’t anything I could say positive about him. His voice is shot. When he rehearsed and performed his concert on stage he sang along with a recording of his voice. The Four Seasons held the performance together.

Our friend there, the Mayor of Munchkinland.

He was always my favorite singer!

Sing Johnny One Note!!!! How did he hold that note?

Johnny Mathis, Misty (live Dec 16 2023)

(If only that women had shut up.)

A legend.

He's 88 at r77. He sounds amazing.

At 128 yrs old he sounds amazing! So lifelike! Wake up the kids!

A recent live version of Misty without the woman.

Sorry - already posted