John Royce Mathis is an American popular music vocalist. Beginning his career with standard music songs, he rose to prominence as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums reaching gold or platinum certification and 73 making the Billboard charts. Mathis has earned the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and three of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
A Short Biography of Johnny Mathis
Johnny Mathis was born on September 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas. He was the fourth of Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd’s seven children. Mathis grew up in the Richmond District after his family relocated to San Francisco. His father, who had worked in vaudeville, saw his son’s musical talent and purchased him an old upright piano, and pushed him to study.
Mathis began learning songs and routines from his father, with “My Blue Heaven” being the first song he learned. Afterward, he began dancing and singing for guests at his home, as well as at school and church gatherings. At age 13, he began working with Connie Cox, a voice coach. Six years were spent learning vocal scales, exercises, and voice production with her.
Additionally, he studied classical and operatic singing. Mathis was a standout athlete at George Washington High School and received an athletic scholarship to attend San Francisco State College in 1952. He aspired to become a teacher of either English or Physical Education.
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The Career of Johnny Mathis
In 1955, Johnny Mathis debuted in the music industry by performing at the Black Hawk Club in San Francisco. Helen Noga, the co-founder of the club, took an interest in him and asked the head of Popular Music at Columbia Records, George Avakian, to hear him perform.
Avakian was so enamored by Mathis that he immediately faxed the record label for blank contracts to sign him. Although his first record, Johnny Mathis: A New Sound in Popular Music, sold slowly, his 1957 performance on The Ed Sullivan Show helped improve his reputation.
Mathis was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Wild Is The Wind,” which was released in November of the same year and featured in the film of the same name. His album, Johnny’s Greatest Hits, was released one week prior to his appearance at the Academy Awards and remained on the Billboard charts for 490 consecutive weeks, keeping the record until Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon was released in 1973.
Mathis founded Jon Mat Records in 1967 to produce his solo tracks following his 1964 separation from Noga. Mathis performed between 50 and 60 concerts annually throughout the 2000s, as his popularity continued to rise. Mathis, along with legends such as Bob Dylan, Tony Bennett, Bruce Springsteen, and Barbara Streisand, has one of the longest tenures with Columbia Records, where he still distributes his songs.
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What Is the Net Worth of Johnny Mathis?
Music is a gift, and Johnny hopes you can join him to celebrate another melodic year of romance in 2023💕🎼✨ TICKETS: https://t.co/NCdxp6WqDT#VoiceOfRomance #livemusic #NewYear2023 pic.twitter.com/ixcQXsndBN
— Johnny Mathis (@MathisJohnny) December 20, 2022
American musician Johnny Mathis has a net worth of $400 million. Johnny Mathis is well known for his popular songs and albums, of which he has sold countless copies.
| Net Worth: | $400 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Sep 30, 1935 (87 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Gilmer |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 6 in (1.7 m) |
| Profession: | Singer, Songwriter, Actor |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
Mathis has sold over 350 million recordings and appeared on 73 Billboard charts over his career. Thus, he is the third best-selling artist of the 20th century and the last six decades.
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Personal Life
Mathis is also well-known for his passion for athletics and innate athletic ability. He may have potentially been an Olympic athlete, but he missed the high jump trials. He has achieved a hole-in-one on nine holes and continues to be a golf enthusiast.
He has hosted numerous Johnny Mathis Golf Tournaments in the United Kingdom and the United States. He has hosted a charity golf tournament in Belfast since 1985. In 1982, Mathis wrote a cookbook entitled “Cooking for You Alone” due to his interest in cooking. He did not reveal his sexual orientation publicly for many years but acknowledged to Us Magazine in 2017 that he is gay.
Mathis has received treatment for alcohol and prescription medication use. He supports numerous charity organizations, including the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, YWCA and YMCA, Muscular Dystrophy Association, and NAACP. In 1964, he purchased a Hollywood Hills mansion that had been constructed in 1946 by tycoon Howard Hughes. Mathis still resides in this location.