born in September, 30th of 1935, in a little town called "Gilmer" in Texas , forth
of seven children. When he was six years old he moved to San Francisco with
his family. When Johnny Mathis was at school, he made to notice as athlete.
Being indicated to form in the Olympic team where he would participate of
tests of jump in height, giving up in favor of the singer career. When he was
nineteen, he appears singing in a night club, calling the attention for the soft
and romantic voice and this time he was contracted by Columbia recorder,
in 1956, initiating a discography trajectory with colored jazz album. In this same
time he goes to New York to sing in a program of Columbia Broadcasting
System, that covered all the North American Territory.
Johnny Mathis
On of the great virtues of the singer Johnny Mathis is versatility, interpreting
his sweet ballads, how exciting swings, demonstrating its qualities in the most
varied types of vocalization, being one of the rare tenors in activity in the
North America. With the fame arrising soon on the top of his career, he sings
in the television appearing in the Ed Sullivan Show, most popular of the country,
with great audience to coast-to-coast. His first sucesses in the record come
in 1957 when recording "It´s Not For Me To Say". "My Love For You" and
"A Certain Smile". This last one appeared in the film "A Certain Smile" (1958),
produced in the studios of 20th Century Fox, having as protagonists the Italian
actor Rossano Brazzi and the North American actress Joan Fontaine, where
Mathis appears singing in a night club. These three songs had reached a great
amount of one million copies sold. From there, the singer becomes a phenomenon
in the world of the record, with the popularity of Frank Sinatra. What it makes an
impression in his career is the extraordinary commercial sucess, being, until
nowadays, the third North American singer in record sale, behind only of Frank
Sinatra and Elvis Presley and selling more than big and famous vocal band like
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
The extensive discography (more than 100 recorded albums) like the album
"Olé", with Latin American songs, where he interprets songs in Portuguese and
Spaniard. Johnny Mathis also recorded song of famous composers like Duke
Ellington, Burt Bacharach, Johnny Mercer and Michel Legrand, as well as made
duets with the singers Natalie Cole, Dione Warwick, Gladys Knight, Barbara
Dickson and Deniece Williams.
In the end of 60´ he records songs composed by John Lennon and Paul
McCartney that had been presented in "tournée" for England. He would come
back in 1974, repeating the success previous. Among the most known musics
recorded are, beyond already cited: "Chances Are", "Misty", "As Time Goes By",
"The Way We Were", "I´m Coming Home", "Me And Mrs. Jones", "Alone Again"
and "Gina", all recorded in the Columbia (Sony Music), where he remains until
today and of course, the singer that more sell records for this firm. Johnny
Mathis was several times making presenting here in Brazil, with appearances
in the television and shows in traditional houses of spectacle, always with
great affluence of public. Singer of safe technique, perfect vocal domain and
the great sensitivity to interpret ballads, has a legion of admirers in our land.
Interpreter of the traditional North American popular singer in full activity in the
circuit of casinos in the EE.UU and presentations in the television, continues
recording in evidence, the example of Tony Bennett that completed fifty years
of artistic activities recently. Johnny Mathis, privileged, versatile and beautiful
voice.
Johnny Mathis and the French singer Silvie Vartan - May of 1978