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.
The Lord's Prayer
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy name
Thy kingdom come
Thy will be done
On earth as in heaven
Give us today
Our daily bread
And forgive our sins
As we forgive
Each one of those
Who sins against us
And lead us
Not to the time of trial
But deliver us from evil
For Thine is the kingdom
The power and the glory
Let all the people
Say amen
In every tribe
And tongue
Let every heart's
Desire be joined
To see the kingdom come
Let every hope
And every dream
Be born in love again
Let all the world
Sing with one voice
Let the people
Say amen
The lyrics to Johnny Mathis's rendition of The Lord's Prayer are a poignant and powerful representation of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The first verse addresses God as the Father in heaven and speaks of His holiness and the hope for His kingdom to come. The second and third verses ask for sustenance and for the forgiveness of sins, as well as the strength to forgive those who have wronged us. The final verse is a plea for deliverance from evil and a recognition of God's power and glory.
What makes this song especially moving is the way it builds towards a call for unity and peace among all people. The line "let all the people say amen in every tribe and tongue" reminds us that we are all united in our desire for a better world. The final lines, "let every hope and every dream be born in love again let all the world sing with one voice" speak to a universal desire for love and understanding among all people. Mathis's performance puts the focus on the lyrics, allowing the message to truly resonate with the listener.
Line by Line Meaning
Our Father
Addressing God as our father, a paternal figure who is responsible for us and our well-being
Who art in heaven
Recognizing that God exists in an extraordinary, spiritual realm that is beyond our physical world
Hallowed be Thy name
Acknowledging that God's name is sacred and worthy of reverence and honoring it accordingly
Thy kingdom come
Expressing the desire for God's kingdom to come into existence, a kingdom characterized by righteousness, justice, and peace
Thy will be done
Submitting to God's will, accepting that His will is perfect and beyond our understanding
On earth as in heaven
Asking for God's will to be done on earth, similar to how things are done in heaven where there is perfection and harmony
Give us today
Requesting from God, a Provident God, that He will give us our daily needs, not necessarily our wants.
Our daily bread
Asking God to provide for us our basic physical needs for each day, as bread is a basic staple food in many cultures
And forgive our sins
Asking God to forgive us when we fall short of His standards and sin against Him, as He is a merciful and loving God
As we forgive
Asking God to forgive us in the same way that we forgive those who have wronged us, and therefore promoting forgiveness in our human relationships
Each one of those
Every person who has sinned against us, acknowledging that forgiving them is a difficult task to undertake
Who sins against us
Those who have transgressed against us, injured us, offended our rights or harmed us in any way
And lead us
Asking God to lead us and guide us, through our journey and challenges in life
Not to the time of trial
Requesting that God will help us avoid trials and testing altogether or give us the needed strength to overcome them
But deliver us from evil
Requesting protection from evil and harm and asking God to deliver us from those who seek to harm us
For Thine is the kingdom
Acknowledging that the kingdom belongs to God, and all honor and glory belong to Him
The power and the glory
Recognizing that God is powerful and awe-inspiring, deserving of all praise and glory
Let all the people
A call to all people, regardless of their background, to come together and be united in their acknowledgement and worship of God
Say amen
A way of affirming and agreeing with the words said, referencing our hearts mind and soul
In every tribe
A celebration of diversity and inclusivity, inviting every tribe or ethnicity to be part of this unifying call
And tongue
Inviting people of all languages and backgrounds to join together in worship and praise
Let every heart's
A call for every person to join in this declaration/change of heart
Desire be joined
Urging everyone's desire together to be submitted to the higher calling of God, His will and purpose
To see the kingdom come
Asking for God's kingdom to come to earth in its fullness, a time of peace, love, and true harmony.
Let every hope
A call for all to have hope in this vision of the future of God's kingdom, what He's promised.
And every dream
Not just hope but to have the vision of the future become the dream of the present and the manifestation of it in life.
Be born in love again
Asking that this new creation may all be birthed and done through the lens of love and pushed through the tight squeezes of perseverance
Let all the world
A call for all to unite and work together to reach the common goal of love, peace, and unity
Sing with one voice
A call to work together, a movement where everyone is in harmony and singing the same tune, reaching the same goal
Let the people
A call for all to unite and be the people of God and to tap into our God-given strength
Say amen
It is finalized that agreement with what has been previously stated, and a prayer unto God, saying 'May it be so'.
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: SCHUBERT, DAVID DELARGY, EUGENE O'HAGAN, MARTIN O'HAGAN, MIKE HEDGES, SALLI ISAAK, SARA HERBERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
I I
This is one of my favorite versions of the Lord's Prayer. For the past 3 years, I played this song around 11pm when I take a shower and when I prepare myself before I go to work because I need strength and courage in my line of work. I work as a Registered Nurse in a psychiatric facility. Thank you to the uploader for this wonderful song. It has been a source of strength of the past 3 years.
Mary Smith
Wonderful to have a song in your heart.
Psalms 105:2 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works
Sandra Domazet
God bless you 🙏 ❤️ as you work to bless others 🙏
Kerwin Douze
Johnny Mathis sings The Lord's Prayer wonderfully it's good to know that he sings the very words that our Savior taught us
Marilyn Hudson
In my humble opinion Johnny Mathis rendition of the Lord's Prayer is more heartfelt than most versions I've heard in my life at age 71. I'm requesting that my family have this version at my Memorial when my time comes, because I play and listen to this version twice daily.~~
Sandra Domazet
I agree wholeheartedly ❤️
cheryl santiago
This prayer is said to be "The Perfect Prayer" Mathis delivers it awith such heartfelt emotion and the quality of his voice brings it all into perspective.
Mary Zimmerman
Absolutely beautiful voice and performance ❤️
김국현
I just want everyone to worship God with all their heart.
Mary Smith
Praise him above all