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.
Early Autumn
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And touches with her hand the summer trees
Perhaps you'll understand what memories I own
There's a dance pavilion, all shuttered down
A winding country lane, all russet brown
A frosty windowpane shows me a town grown lonely
That spring of ours that started, so April-heartedSeemed made for just a boy and girl
I never dreamed, did you, any fall could come in view
So early, early, darling, if you care, please let me know
I'll meet you anywhere, I miss you so
Let's never have to share another early autumn
The lyrics of Johnny Mathis's song "Early Autumn" paint a vivid picture of the change of seasons and the memories that come with it. The song begins by describing the chill in the air and the way it affects the trees as the summer gives way to autumn. The singer then reminisces about specific memories from the past, including a dance pavilion that is now closed and a country lane that has turned brown. He looks through a frosty windowpane and sees a town that is now lonely, contrasting with the spring when everything was new and full of life. The lyrics capture the sense of loss that can come with the passing of time, especially when we look back on what we once had.
The chorus of the song expresses a plea to a long-lost love. The singer never imagined that autumn would come so soon, and he is left longing for his former partner. He calls out to her, asking her to let him know if she still cares for him, promising to meet her anywhere at any time. The lyrics convey the hope that the past can be recaptured and the sorrow that comes with the realization that it may not be possible. Overall, "Early Autumn" is a poignant reflection on the fleeting nature of life and the bittersweet memories that it leaves behind.
Line by Line Meaning
When an early autumn walks the land and chills the breeze
As the fall rolls in and the cooler weather starts to set in, I am immediately reminded of memories of the past.
And touches with her hand the summer trees
The fall season brings about a change where everything starts to die or turn brown. The summer trees are touched and changed by this season.
Perhaps you'll understand what memories I own
These memories of the past are deeply personal and meaningful to me, and I hope that you can relate to them on some level.
There's a dance pavilion, all shuttered down
One of my fondest memories is of dancing with you at a pavilion that is now closed and unavailable to me.
A winding country lane, all russet brown
The memories that flood me are of long walks down a rust-colored path, taking in the rich colors of the autumn landscape.
A frosty windowpane shows me a town grown lonely
Through a window, as icicles form on the windowpane, I see a lonely town that reflects my mood and it furthers my sadness.
That spring of ours that started, so April-hearted
As I take this walk down memory lane, specifically that of a spring, the beginnings of love when hearts were so full of love and anticipation.
Seemed made for just a boy and girl
That April and the early summer was perfect for the romance of just the two of us, fresh and new as it was.
I never dreamed, did you, any fall could come in view
We never thought the end could come, that we'd be separated, and that there would be a change in the season so quickly.
So early, early, darling, if you care, please let me know
Given that things turned out differently, if there is any way possible, dear, please let me know if you still care for me.
I'll meet you anywhere, I miss you so
I regret what happened, so I am now ready to meet you at any place, and I miss you, my love.
Let's never have to share another early autumn
Memories can be harsh reminders of what once was, so I never want to have to experience such a thing ever again.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHNNY MERCER, RALPH BURNS, RALPH J BURNS, WOODY HERMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind