Johnny Mathis

John Royce “Johnny” Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music and Jazz. He started his career releasing singles of standard style music but then became popular as an album artist: achieving gold and platinum status with many of them.

Mathis was born in Gilmer, Texas, but then the family moved to San Francisco, California where Johnny grew up.  His father had worked in vaudeville and, realising his son’s talent, bought an old upright piano and encouraged him.  Mathis began to learn songs and routines from his father and started singing and dancing for visitors at home, at school, at community functions and in the church choir.

At the age of 13, Mathis started voice lessons and studied for six years: learning vocal scales and exercises, voice production, and classical and operatic singing. He is one of the few popular singers who received years of voice training that included opera. The first band he sang with was formed by his high school friend, Merl Saunders. When Saunders died in 2008, at his funeral, Mathis thanked him for giving him his first chance as a singer.

Although Mathis is frequently described as a romantic singer, his discography includes jazz, traditional pop, soul music, soft rock, rhythm and blues, country and disco songs.  He also reco0rded six albums of Christmas music.

Johnny Mathis has sold well over 350 million records worldwide, according to Guinness Book of World Records writer and charts music historian Paul Gambaccini and other sources. This makes Mathis the third biggest selling artist of the 20th century.  He has performed for heads of state all over the world, and in 1972, was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Backing Tracks

 A Certain Smile

Begin The Beguine

Chances Are

Gina

Have Yourself A Merry Little Chrismas

Maria

Misty

Someone

Stranger In Paradise

Too Much Too Little Too Late

Twelfth Of Never

What I Did For Love

When A Child Is Born

When Sunny Gets Blue

Wild Is The Wind

Wonderful World