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.
So Nice
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That would be very nice
Someone to love me right
That would be very nice
Someone to understand
Each little dream in me
Someone to take my hand
And be a team with me
So nice, life would be so nice
If one day I'd find
Someone who would take my hand
And samba through life with me
Someone to cling to me
Stay with me right or wrong
Someone to sing to me
Some little samba song
Someone to take my heart
And give his heart to me
Someone who's ready to
Give love a start with me
Oh yeah, that would be so nice
I could see you and me, that would be nice
The lyrics of Johnny Mathis's song "So Nice" express the longing of the singer for someone to love, to hold, and to understand him. The sentiment of the song is nostalgic, and the melody is wistful and romantic. The singer dreams of finding a person who would be his companion for life, someone with whom he could samba through life.
He desires someone who would not just be with him in good times but also in bad times, someone who would stay by his side right or wrong. The lyrics also express the hope for a connection with someone who would share his dreams and become a team with him. The singer wants to find someone who would take his heart and give his heart to him, someone who would be ready to start a journey of love with him.
Overall, "So Nice" is a song about the beauty of connection, love, and companionship. It portrays the longing of the singer for someone who would make his life whole and complete.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone to hold me tight
It would be nice to have someone who can hold me when I feel down or when I crave companionship.
That would be very nice
It would be amazing if I find someone who can do that for me.
Someone to love me right
In an ideal world, there would be someone who loves me just the way I am and won't judge me based on my weaknesses.
Someone to understand
It would be comforting to have someone who can read my thoughts and understand my innermost desires.
Each little dream in me
I have many hopes and dreams that I want to share with someone who is supportive and caring.
Someone to take my hand
It would be lovely to have someone who can guide me through life when I feel lost or confused.
And be a team with me
I want someone who can work with me as a partner to achieve our mutual goals.
So nice, life would be so nice
Having someone like that would make life so much more enjoyable and meaningful.
If one day I'd find
It may be difficult, but I'm still hopeful that I will find someone like that someday.
Someone who would take my hand
I want someone who is willing to hold my hand and never let it go no matter what comes our way.
And samba through life with me
I want someone who wants to dance passionately through life with me, experiencing every twist and turn together.
Someone to cling to me
I long for someone who can give me a warm embrace when I need it the most, and never let me go.
Stay with me right or wrong
It would be comforting to have someone who can accept me even when I make mistakes or bad decisions. Someone who is willing to stick with me through thick and thin.
Someone to sing to me
I want someone who can sing sweet melodies to me, lulling me to sleep or lifting my spirits when I'm feeling low.
Some little samba song
It would be amazing if that song is a samba, which is an expression of our shared joy and enthusiasm for life.
Someone to take my heart
I am looking for someone who can handle my heart with care, and never break it.
And give his heart to me
I want someone who is willing to share his heart with me, and let me be a part of his life's journey.
Someone who's ready to
I am hoping to find someone who is emotionally available, and ready to take the leap of faith with me.
Give love a start with me
I am looking for someone who can join me in creating a loving and supportive relationship, and start a life-long journey of mutual growth and fulfillment.
Oh yeah, that would be so nice
The thought of having someone like that in my life makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. It would be a dream come true.
I could see you and me, that would be nice
I can visualize us together, creating a beautiful life full of love, passion, and mutual support. That would be a wonderful experience.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Norman Gimbel, Marcos Kostenbader Valle, Paulo Sergio Kostenbader Valle
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind