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.
99 Miles From L.A.
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keeping my hands on the wheel I hold you
Ninety nine miles from L.A.
I kiss you, I miss you
Please be there
Passing a white sandy beach we're sailing
Turning the radio on we're dancing
I want you, I need you
Please be there
The windshield is covered with rain, I'm crying
Pressing my foot on the gas, I'm flying
Counting the telephone poles, I phone you
Reading the signs on the road, I write you
Ninety nine miles from L.A.
We're laughing, we're loving
Please be there
Counting the telephone poles, I phone you
Reading the signs on the road, I write you
Ninety nine miles from L.A.
I kiss you, I miss you
Please be there
Keeping my eyes on the road I see you
Keeping my hands on the wheel I hold you
Ninety nine miles from L.A.
We're laughing, we're loving
Please be there
The song "99 Miles From L.A." by Johnny Mathis is a love song that expresses the longing and desire of a person who is driving away from their loved one to a distant place but still yearns for them. The first verse portrays the persona's constant thoughts about their partner, who is not physically present but is with them in spirit, hence the lines "Keeping my eyes on the road I see you, Keeping my hands on the wheel I hold you." The second verse shows them reminiscing about a beautiful moment shared together at a white sandy beach, where they were dancing and enjoying each other's company. The chorus, "Ninety nine miles from L.A. I want you, I need you, Please be there," highlights the persona's strong desire to have their partner with them always, despite the distance that separates them.
The bridge of the song shifts from a nostalgic tone to a more emotional one, with the windscreen of the car being covered with rain as the persona is crying. However, they still maintain a frenzied pace, pressing their foot down on the gas, and counting telephone poles as they drive. They communicate with their partner via phone and scribble messages for them, all while they are driving. The final chorus reiterates the persona's longing for their partner, and the need for their connection, "Ninety nine miles from L.A. We're laughing, we're loving, Please be there." The song's gentle and melancholic melody adds to its overall emotional appeal.
Line by Line Meaning
Keeping my eyes on the road I see you
Even though we are apart and miles away, I am constantly thinking of you and picturing you beside me.
Keeping my hands on the wheel I hold you
As I navigate the road ahead, I find comfort in the thought of holding your hand and having you by my side.
Ninety nine miles from L.A.
Despite the distance between us, we are still connected by our love and desire for each other.
I kiss you, I miss you
I can't help but think about how much I long to be with you and the thought of kissing you brings me comfort.
Please be there
I am reaching out to you in the hope that you will be there for me and we can be together again soon.
Passing a white sandy beach we're sailing
As I travel on this journey, I am reminded of our adventures together and the beautiful memories we have shared.
Turning the radio on we're dancing
As I listen to the music and dance along, I can't help but think of how much I want to dance with you again and share these moments together.
The windshield is covered with rain, I'm crying
The rain serves as a physical manifestation of my emotions and tears, as I am overwhelmed with thoughts of missing you.
Pressing my foot on the gas, I'm flying
I am pushing myself to keep going and move forward, despite the pain of being apart from you, and the hope that I can be with you soon keeps me motivated.
Counting the telephone poles, I phone you
As I pass each phone pole, I am reminded of our conversations and feel the urge to call you and connect again.
Reading the signs on the road, I write you
The signs serve as a reminder of our love and promise to each other, and I take the time to write to you and reaffirm our commitment.
We're laughing, we're loving
Despite the distance and difficulties, we never forget to laugh, love and appreciate each other.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALBERT HAMMOND, HAL DAVID
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind