Johnny was 13 years old when Clem took him to see Connie Cox, a Bay Area voice teacher, who agreed to take on the youngster in exchange for his doing odd jobs around her house. Johnny studied with Connie for six years learning vocal scales and exercises, voice production, classical and operatic skills.
At George Washington High School, Johnny was known not only for his singing ability but his athleticism as well. He became a star athlete on the track and field team as a high jumper and hurdler and played on the basketball team.
In 1954, Johnny enrolled at San Francisco State College with the intention of being an English and Physical Education teacher. While there, Johnny set a high jump record of 6’-5 1/2”. This is still on the College’s Top 15 list and was only two inches short of the Olympic record of the time. Just as when he was in high school, Johnny’s name was frequently mentioned in the sports sections of the Northern California newspapers. He was often referred to as “the best all-around athlete to come out of the San Francisco Bay Area”.
A fellow student whose sextet was working at the Black Hawk nightclub brought Johnny in for a Sunday afternoon jam session. It was at the Black Hawk that Helen Noga, co-owner of the club, first heard him sing. She decided that she wanted to manage his career.
In early September of 1955, Johnny landed a job singing weekends at Ann Dee’s 440 Club. After repeated attempts, Helen convinced George Avakian, then head of Jazz A&R at Columbia, to see him. Avakian came to the club, heard Johnny sing and sent the now famous telegram to his record company: “Have found phenomenal 19 year old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts.”
Avakian left for New York after telling Johnny that he would eventually send for him. Johnny continued his studies at San Francisco State and gained additional fame as a high jumper. In early 1956, Johnny was asked to attend the trials for the 1956 Olympic teams that would travel to Melbourne, Australia that summer. At the same time, Columbia Records requested that Johnny come to New York to start arrangements for his first recording session. Clem helped his son decide that his future and best interests were with the recording company. So, Johnny gave up his chance to become a member of the USA Olympic Team. He went to New York to record his first album in March of 1956.
The first album was a collection of jazz oriented renditions of popular standards entitled: Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song. It included jazz musicians Gil Evans, John Lewis and Teo Macero and songs like “Angel Eyes”, “Easy to Love” and “Babalu”. The album enjoyed only moderate success because jazz vocal albums were not good sellers. Nevertheless, Johnny remained in New York and landed bookings at some of the leading nightclubs such as the Village Vanguard, The Blue Angel and Basin Street East.
Soon, Columbia placed Johnny under the supervision of producer Mitch Miller. Mitch favored using Johnny’s voice to sing soft, romantic ballads. At his second recording session, in the fall of 1956, Johnny recorded two singles. These songs were to become among his most popular all-time greatest hits: “Wonderful, Wonderful” and “It’s Not For Me To Say.” Subsequently, MGM Studios signed Johnny to sing “It’s Not For Me To Say” in the film Lizzie . He played a tavern piano bar singer. In 1958, Johnny made another motion picture appearance. This time it was for 20th Century Fox in A Certain Smile. In this movie, he sang the title song playing himself in an elegant nightclub scene. Since then, Johnny’s voice has been used in countless Hollywood movies for theme songs, background music and to enhance a particular setting or segment.
“Wonderful, Wonderful” and “It’s Not For Me To Say” reached their peaks on the BILLBOARD pop chart in July of 1957. These successes were followed by the monumental single “Chances Are” which became Johnny’s first #1 hit.
In June of 1957, Johnny appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show where he was introduced to the record buying public and became a national celebrity and household name. Columbia Records continued to release albums of Johnny singing beautiful and romantic ballads, classic standards and the best songs from Broadway musicals. These albums, like the singles, became immediate successes with sales in the millions. It was not uncommon for Johnny to have as many as four albums on the BILLBOARD Top Albums chart at the same time. In late 1959, Johnny recorded another song that became synonymous with the name of Johnny Mathis, the Erroll Garner composition, “Misty”.
Johnny’s accomplishments are numerous and varied. He holds many records and has set many precedents in the music industry. In 1958, two years after being signed by Columbia Records, Johnny’s Greatest Hits was released. It began a “Greatest Hits” tradition copied by every record company since then. Johnny’s Greatest Hits went on to become one of the most popular albums of all time and spent an unprecedented 490 continuous weeks (almost ten years) on the BILLBOARD Top Albums Chart. This record has been noted in the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS.
According to record historian Joel Whitburn, Johnny is one of only five recording artists to have Top 40 Hits spanning each of the four decades since 1955. Amazingly, his second #1 Hit Single, “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” (recorded with Deniece Williams), came almost 21 years after his very first #1 Hit Single, “Chances Are”.
Johnny has been honored to make several appearances before various heads of state. Starting in June of 1973, he sang at a State Dinner held in honor of the President of Liberia. In 1978, Johnny sang for the British Royal Family at A Command Performance held at The London Palladium. He performed for President and Mrs. Reagan at the State Dinner held in honor of the Prime Minister of Japan in April of 1987. Four years later in April of 1991, he sang for President and Mrs. Bush in honor of the President of Nicaragua. Most recently, in May of 1994, Johnny sang for President and Mrs. Clinton (along with the other five living First Ladies) at a very special First Ladies Tribute.
Johnny has also been honored by entertainment heads of state. In June of 1972, he was awarded his own star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has participated in the Academy Awards presentation many times to sing the song nominated in the “Best Song” category. He has received two Grammy nominations. The first was for “Misty” in 1960 in the category of Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track Male. The second came in 1992 for In a Sentimental Mood/Mathis Sings Ellington in the category of Best Traditional Pop Performance.
1996 marked Johnny’s 40th Anniversary as a recording artist. He celebrated by releasing All About Love. He then released The Global Masters (songs from his three year contract at Mercury Records) in 1997, and 1998 saw the release of The Ultimate Hits and Because You Loved Me.
In his free time, Johnny loves to golf. He plays golf almost every day when he’s not traveling and has sung at many golf banquets such as the Ryder Cup. In 1985 and 1986, Johnny hosted his own golf tournament, The Johnny Mathis Seniors PGA Classic which was held in Los Angeles, California.
Johnny’s other favorite avocation is cooking. He is a gourmet cook who cooks for himself and often others when he’s home or traveling. His mother taught him at an early age how to cook up a storm and do it well. He’s enjoyed doing so all his life.
When a Child Is Born
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A tiny star lights up way up high
All across the land, dawns a brand new morn
This comes to pass when a child is born
A silent wish sails the seven seas
The winds of change whisper in the trees
And the walls of doubt crumble, tossed and torn
This comes to pass when a child is born
A rosy hue settles all around
You've got the feel you're on solid ground
For a spell or two, no one seems forlorn
This comes to pass when a child is born
And all of this happens because the world is waiting,
Waiting for one child
Black, white, yellow, no one knows
But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter,
Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone's neighbor
And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever
It's all a dream, an illusion now
It must come true, sometime soon somehow
All across the land, dawns a brand new morn
This comes to pass when a child is born
The lyrics of Johnny Mathis’s song “When a Child Is Born” convey a message of hope and transformation. The lyrics describe a new day that dawns when a child is born, where the walls of doubt crumble and there is a rosy hue that settles all around. A tiny star lights up in the sky, and a silent wish sails across the seven seas, indicating the hope and positive change that a newborn child represents.
The lyrics suggest that the world is waiting for one child that will grow up and transform the world into a more compassionate place. The child that is born could be anyone of any race or ethnicity—black, white, yellow, no one knows. However, this child will be the one that turns tears to laughter, hate to love, and war to peace. Misery and suffering will be forgotten forever, and the world will be a better place because of the hope and change that this new child represents.
Overall, Johnny Mathis’s “When a Child Is Born” is a song about new beginnings, hope, and transformation. The lyrics convey a message of possibility and optimism that a child can bring a better future for everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
A ray of hope flickers in the sky
The birth of a child symbolizes a new beginning and a beacon of hope for a brighter future.
A tiny star lights up way up high
The arrival of a new life is like a shining star in the sky, filling the world with light and hope.
All across the land, dawns a brand new morn
The birth of a child brings a new day, a fresh start for the world to move forward with new hope.
This comes to pass when a child is born
The miracle of new life has the power to unite us, bring hope, and pave the way for a brighter future.
A silent wish sails the seven seas
A child's birth rekindles hope and sends good wishes to people all over the world.
The winds of change whisper in the trees
New life represents change, growth and progress in the world, a time for transformation to occur.
And the walls of doubt crumble, tossed and torn
The birth of a child demolishes negativity and doubt, ushering in a renewed sense of optimism and positivity.
A rosy hue settles all around
The birth of a child is a symbol of beauty and joy, spreading love and peace wherever they go.
You've got the feel you're on solid ground
The birth of a child brings a sense of stability and balance to life, providing a foundation for the future.
For a spell or two, no one seems forlorn
The birth of a child brings happiness to everyone, even just for a short time, making everyone feel the joy of life.
And all of this happens because the world is waiting,
The birth of a child is an event that the world is eagerly waiting for, hoping for new opportunities and possibilities.
Waiting for one child
A single child can make a vast difference, bringing hope and love to the world as a whole.
Black, white, yellow, no one knows
It doesn't matter where the child comes from or what color their skin is - a new life represents hope for all.
But a child that will grow up and turn tears to laughter,
A child has the power to bring happiness and joy to people, even in the darkest of times.
Hate to love, war to peace and everyone to everyone's neighbor
Through the birth of a child, love and peace will conquer hate and war, bringing everyone together to live in harmony.
And misery and suffering will be words to be forgotten, forever
New life represents a new chapter, with the possibility of a bright, happy future, leaving behind a past of hardship and suffering.
It's all a dream, an illusion now
Before the child is born, this dream of a brighter future may seem like an impossible illusion.
It must come true, sometime soon somehow
Yet, this dream of a better future will become reality, someday, somehow, through the birth of new life.
All across the land, dawns a brand new morn
The arrival of new life brings a new dawn, a fresh start for the world to leave the past behind, and look forward to a brighter future.
This comes to pass when a child is born
The birth of a child is a powerful, transformative event that brings hope, joy, and the promise of a better tomorrow.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Alberto Salerno, Bembo A Baldan, Ciro Dammicco, Francesco Specchia, Maurizio Seymandi
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind