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.
Day in Day Out
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You'll remember a place
Someone touching your face
You'll come back and you'll look around, you'll
One day in your life
You'll remember the love you found here
You'll remember me somehowThough you don't need me now
I will stay in your heart
And when things fall apart
You'll remember one day
One day in your life
When you find that you're always waiting
For a love we used to share
Just call my name, and I'll be there
You'll remember me somehow
Though you don't need me now
I will stay in your heart
And when things fall apart
You'll remember one day
One day in your life
When you find that you're always lonely
For a love we used to share
Just call my name, and I'll be there.
In Johnny Mathis's song Day In Day Out, the lyrics tell the story of someone who is feeling lost and alone in a new city. The first verse describes the singer's feelings of self-pity and uncertainty, as they struggle to find their place in an unfamiliar environment. The outlook seems decidedly bleak, with everything around them shrouded in a foggy haze. However, the singer's luck suddenly changes when they stumble upon someone special. The second verse describes the miracle of meeting this person and how it transforms the singer's experience of the city.
The song's message is that even when we feel lost and alone, there is always hope for a better tomorrow. We may not know what the future holds, but we can hold onto the possibility of a brighter day. By keeping an open mind and heart, we can discover the beauty and wonder around us, even in the midst of hardship and uncertainty.
Overall, Day In Day Out is an uplifting song that speaks to the human experience of seeking love, connection, and meaning in a complex world. Through its simple yet powerful lyrics, the song reminds us that even in our darkest moments, there is always a glimmer of hope.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a stranger in the city
I was a person who didn't belong or fit in with the locals of the area
Out of town were the people I knew
I didn't know anyone in the area who could help me or offer guidance. I was completely on my own.
I had that feeling of self-pity
I was feeling sorry for myself because of my situation and felt like things were going against me.
What to do? What to do? What to do?
I was grappling for a solution for my problem, feeling helpless and lost.
The outlook was decidedly blue
Things seemed quite bleak and depressing, and it appeared that nothing positive could happen anytime soon.
But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
As I continued to make my way through the city's streets alone and unsure of where to go, my luck changed for the better.
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
Despite the difficulties, everything worked out in the end, and I found myself fortunate enough to have had such a day.
A foggy day in London Town
The song's narrator is specifying the time and place where this story occurred, which was during a typical foggy day in London.
Had me low and had me down
The fog and overall gloomy atmosphere of the city made me feel quite unhappy and sad.
I viewed the morning with alarm
Everything seemed so negative and worrisome that I was genuinely concerned about the rest of the day ahead.
The British Museum had lost it's charm
Even something the singer expected to bring joy and entertainment, such as the British Museum, had become dull and uninteresting.
How long, I wondered, could this thing last?
The artist was afraid that the dismal mood of the city was something that would persist for a long time, perhaps indefinitely.
But the age of miracles hadn't passed,
Despite the negative situation, there was still a way for something good to happen or be received.
For, suddenly, I saw you there
Without warning or expectation, something miraculous happened that brought joy to the singer's life.
And through foggy London Town,
Even with the fog's continued presence, the miracle helped the singer see with a much clearer perspective.
The sun was shining everywhere.
What had been a foggy and dreary day had transformed into a brighter, happier one thanks to the unexpected positive moment.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: III, RENEE ARMAND, SAM BROWN, SAM, III BROWN, SAMUEL F BROWN III
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MrAlexsegal
Wonderful performance. But I think I prefer the original lyric. The original contains the line “Can’t you see its love?” Johnny sings instead “Can it really be love?” - a question that doesn’t fit so well the confidence of the song.
@timothybrown5802
I love this