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.
Maria
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
Maria, I just met a girl named Maria
And suddenly that name will never be the same to me
Maria, I just kissed a girl named MariaAnd suddenly, I found how wonderful a sound can be
Maria, say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria, I'll never stop saying Maria
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
Maria, Maria, say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria, I'll never stop saying Maria
The most beautiful sound I ever heard, Maria
The lyrics to Johnny Mathis's song "Maria" capture the overwhelming feeling of falling in love and the power of someone's name. The song opens with Mathis singing about the beauty of the name Maria, claiming that it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. He continues to sing about different sounds in the world, but none compare to the simple utterance of that name.
The next verses reveal that Mathis has just met a girl named Maria and that from this moment on, that name will never be the same to him. He feels a sudden connection to the name and to the girl behind it. When he kisses her, he realizes how wonderful the sound of her name can be. The choruses repeat the declaration of Maria's beauty, emphasizing the incredible impact she has had on Mathis.
The bridge offers another perspective on the power of the name Maria. Mathis suggests that saying it loud can make music play, and saying it softly is almost like praying. There is a spiritual quality to the name for him. He finishes the song by reiterating that he will never stop saying Maria because it's the most beautiful sound he's ever heard. Overall, "Maria" is a tribute to love and the way that one person can completely transform our world.
Line by Line Meaning
Maria, the most beautiful sound I ever heard
The name Maria is so beautiful that it is as though all the beautiful sounds in the world are embodied in a single word
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
The repetition of the name Maria emphasizes its beauty
All the beautiful sounds of the world in a single word
Through the name Maria, all the beautiful sounds in the world are condensed into one word
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
The repetition of the name Maria is being done with utmost admiration
Maria, I just met a girl named Maria
Meeting a girl named Maria changed my perception of the name Maria
And suddenly that name will never be the same to me
I discovered how wonderful the name Maria is and it will forever hold a special meaning to me
Maria, I just kissed a girl named Maria
I felt the magic of the name Maria when kissing a girl named Maria
And suddenly, I found how wonderful a sound can be
The beauty of the name Maria was revealed to me and I realized how amazing a sound can be
Maria, say it loud and there's music playing
The name Maria is so beautiful that even saying it out loud can evoke a feeling of music
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Uttering the name Maria softly has a sacred feeling and reminds one of prayer
Maria, I'll never stop saying Maria
The beauty of the name Maria is so captivating that I will never stop saying it
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
The repetition of the name Maria is a testament to its beauty and power
Maria, Maria, say it loud and there's music playing
The name Maria is so enchanting that it can make one feel music around them
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
When spoken softly, the name Maria has an almost spiritual quality, as if one is saying a prayer
Maria, I'll never stop saying Maria
The name Maria is so awe-inspiring that I will keep saying it forever
The most beautiful sound I ever heard, Maria
The name Maria is the most beautiful sound I have ever heard
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@geoffbeck3598
Maria
The most beautiful sound I ever heard
Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria
All the beautiful sounds of the world
In a single word
Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria
Maria, Maria
Maria
I just met a girl named Maria
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same to me
Maria,
I just kissed a girl named Maria
And suddenly I found
How wonderful a sound can be
Maria,
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria
I'll never stop saying
Maria
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria
I'll never stop saying
Maria
The most beautiful sound I ever heard
Maria
@javi.12
Lyrics:
l the beautiful sounds of the world
In a single word
Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria
Maria, Maria
Maria
I just met a girl named Maria
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same to me
Maria
I just kissed a girl named Maria
And suddenly I found
How wonderful a sound can be
Maria
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria
I'll never stop saying
Maria
(Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
(Maria, Maria, Maria)
Maria, Maria
Say it loud and there's music playing
Say it soft and it's almost like praying
Maria
I'll never stop saying
Maria
The most beautiful sound I ever heard
Maria
@joeschmo5181
A true master at work.....
@mariadperez4184
I love this song, my name is Maria.
@margaretburns5468
So beautiful
@sandramerfeld7577
Beautiful. ❤
@malcolmcook7007
Legendary 📽️ film score song wonderfully by a dynamic singer Mathis!
@HugoVargas-yk9up
There's so so many singers worldwide: Juan Gabriel, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Andy Williams and on and on. But Johnny Mathis is so magical. His voice angelic. His legacy unmatched! Spectacular!
@valeriehernandez5150
Johnny Mathis is the greatest singer of all time. His voice is amazing.
@rosannazaffiro8075
Since my granddaughter was just a month or two old I played this song. Now at 10 months old, she heard me speaking the first line of the song, stopped dead in her tracks, crawled over to me, leaned on me so she could stand and gave me a hug and a kiss, sat next to me while I then played the song, and sat silently as she always does when she hears this song. How touching this experience was to be part of. I'll never forget this. Johnny M.'s voice seems to have made her heart overflow with love! Johnny, I can't thank you enough for not only your voice, but your feelings are also behind your words. Our baby feels something special.
@gemini730lory8
💙
@valerierennison7616
Indescribable & Beautiful ❤