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.
It Might as Well Be Spring
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I'd say that I had spring fever
But I know it isn't spring
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
Oh, why should I have Spring feverWhen it isn't even spring?
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
Walking down a strange new street
Hearing words that I have never heard
From a girl I've yet to meet
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
That it might as well be spring
It might as well be spring
The song "It Might as Well Be Spring" by Johnny Mathis is a beautiful ballad that explores the feelings of restlessness and longing for something new. The opening lyrics, "I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm" and "I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string" set the tone for the song and convey the sense of unease and excitement that the singer is feeling. He describes his condition as spring fever, but he knows it isn't spring. This suggests that his restlessness is not linked to an external event, but rather an internal desire for change.
The lyrics then go on to describe the singer's dissatisfaction with his current situation. He is starry-eyed and discontented, like a nightingale without a song to sing. He feels like he should be experiencing the joys of spring, but he can't because it isn't actually spring. He wishes he were somewhere else, walking down a strange new street, hearing words he's never heard before from a girl he's yet to meet. This sense of yearning is palpable in the lyrics and creates a sense of empathy with the listener.
The final verse of the song is the most evocative, with the singer comparing himself to a spider spinning daydreams and a baby on a swing. He hasn't seen any signs of spring, such as crocuses, rosebuds, or robins on the wing, but he still feels "gay in a melancholy way" because his yearning for change and something new makes it feel like it might as well be spring. The song captures the feeling of hopeful anticipation that comes with springtime, but in a broader sense, it speaks to a universal human desire for change and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm
I am feeling anxious and agitated. Just like how a willow tree might sway uncontrollably in a windstorm.
I'm as jumpy as a puppet on a string
I am feeling nervous and tense, similar to how a puppet jumps around while being controlled by strings.
I'd say that I had spring fever
I am feeling restless and unsettled, similar to how one would feel during the season of Spring when everything is blooming and changing.
But I know it isn't spring
I understand that it is not actually Spring season right now, and that something else is causing me to feel this way.
I am starry-eyed and vaguely discontented
I am feeling hopeful and optimistic, yet still somewhat unsatisfied with my current situation.
Like a nightingale without a song to sing
I feel like I have potential and talent, but nothing to use it for right now.
Oh, why should I have Spring fever
I am wondering why I feel so restless and excited, as if it were Spring season.
When it isn't even spring?
It's not even the season of Spring right now, so my feelings are unusual and possibly unwarranted.
I keep wishing I were somewhere else
I find myself wanting to be in a different place, possibly to escape my current restlessness.
Walking down a strange new street
I imagine myself exploring somewhere unfamiliar, possibly to find something new and exciting.
Hearing words that I have never heard
I want to have new experiences and learn new things.
From a girl I've yet to meet
I am hoping to meet somebody new who will share these experiences with me.
I'm as busy as a spider spinning daydreams
My thoughts are racing and I am constantly imagining different possibilities and what-ifs.
I'm as giddy as a baby on a swing
I am feeling lighthearted and excited about something, like a baby happily swinging back and forth.
I haven't seen a crocus or a rosebud or a robin on the wing
I have not seen any signs of Spring season, which makes my restlessness even more unusual.
But I feel so gay in a melancholy way
Despite my feelings of discontent, I am happy and uplifted in some way.
That it might as well be spring
My feelings are so strong that it feels like it could be Spring season, even though it isn't.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Egle Rienzo Rovai
Sem palavras!!!
Apenas muita GRATIDÃO
LOVE YOU JOHNNY
AMO VOCÊ JOHNNY
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Marilyn D.
This is a beautful arrangement of the song to compliment Johnny's beautiful voice.
maureen1938
Thanks for posting this truly beautiful music. Johnny Mathis is fabulous and the song is lovely. Always a pleasure to listen to this great artist.
Robert Silvestri
Love it Lenore. I learned early on that Johnny can sing the telephone book and make it great. (We may have to explain phone books to millenials) 📔 😉
TheBrownIsland
Lol!
lenoremewton
true, Robert! (phone book:) Glad you enjoyed it.
777Moonbeam
I was fortunate to have attended the concert this year when he sang this beautiful song. His voice was perfect and he was charming and kind to the audience with a smile that could light up the world. Thank you for letting me live over again that wonderful evening.
gerry moran
I'm glad you keep coming back to this album Lenore, such a gorgeous melody and the lushness of Mancini's orchestration is like joyfully drowning in dense floral meadow and calling for help in a very whispered giggle
lenoremewton
thank you Michael, that's very kind of you. I think speaking for myself- these are labors of appreciation for all we've /I've received from Johnny's voice. He has an ability to take people to another place - both within themselves and outside of - for this and more- I've very appreciative. These are just some minor ways I can offer some way to honor what he gives to others. A truly gifted individual. Again- thank you for your very kind comments.
Diana Assis
Que maravilha ouvir este cantor. Dancei muito sua musicas com Masinho no Sulacap..tempo bom saudades do tempo da juventude