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 6โ-5 1/2โ. This is still on the Collegeโs Top 15 list and was only two inches short of the Olympic record of the time. Just as when he was in high school, Johnnyโs name was frequently mentioned in the sports sections of the Northern California newspapers. He was often referred to as โthe best all-around athlete to come out of the San Francisco Bay Areaโ.
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 Deeโs 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: โHave found phenomenal 19 year old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts.โ
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 โAngel Eyesโ, โEasy to Loveโ and โBabaluโ. 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 Johnnyโs 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: โWonderful, Wonderfulโ and โItโs Not For Me To Say.โ Subsequently, MGM Studios signed Johnny to sing โItโs Not For Me To Sayโ 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, Johnnyโs voice has been used in countless Hollywood movies for theme songs, background music and to enhance a particular setting or segment.
โWonderful, Wonderfulโ and โItโs Not For Me To Sayโ reached their peaks on the BILLBOARD pop chart in July of 1957. These successes were followed by the monumental single โChances Areโ which became Johnnyโs 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, โMistyโ.
Johnnyโs 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, Johnnyโs Greatest Hits was released. It began a โGreatest Hitsโ tradition copied by every record company since then. Johnnyโs 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, โToo Much, Too Little, Too Lateโ (recorded with Deniece Williams), came almost 21 years after his very first #1 Hit Single, โChances Areโ.
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 โBest Songโ category. He has received two Grammy nominations. The first was for โMistyโ 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 Johnnyโs 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 heโs 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.
Johnnyโs other favorite avocation is cooking. He is a gourmet cook who cooks for himself and often others when heโs home or traveling. His mother taught him at an early age how to cook up a storm and do it well. Heโs enjoyed doing so all his life.
We Need A Little Christmas
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Fill up the stocking
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now
For we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Candles in the window
Yes, we need a little Christmas
Right this very minute
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry
Climb down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Slice up the fruit cake
It's time we've hung some tinsel on the evergreen bough
For I've grown a little leaner
Grown a little colder
Grown a little sadder
Grown a little older
And I need a little angel
Sitting on my shoulder
Need a little Christmas now
For we need a little music
Need a little laughter
Need a little singing, ringing through the rafter
And we need a little snappy
Happy ever after
Need a little Christmas now
The lyrics of Johnny Mathis's song "We Need A Little Christmas" talk about the need to celebrate Christmas as soon as possible. The urgency for feeling the holiday spirit is reflected in the first verse, where the singer urges for holly and a Christmas tree to be brought in before his spirit falls again. The second verse highlights the need for some traditional Christmas elements such as candles and carols, even though they are not necessary due to the absence of snow. The chorus repeats the titular phrase, reinforcing the idea that the singer needs Christmas right now.
The third verse of the song references some more Christmas traditions such as trimming the tree with tinsel and lights, and slicing the fruitcake. However, it also deals with the singer's own emotional state. He has grown colder, leaner, sadder, and older, and as such, he needs an angel to sit on his shoulder to soothe him. The final verse emphasizes the need for Christmas music, laughter, and happiness. The words "snappy" and "happy ever after" possibly signify a desire for a quick and easy resolution to any problems that the singer might be having.
Line by Line Meaning
Haul out the holly
Bring out the holly leaves
Put up the tree before my spirit falls again
Set up the Christmas tree before my enthusiasm fades
Fill up the stocking
Pack the stocking with goodies
I may be rushing things, but deck the halls again now
I know it may seem too soon, but let's decorate the house now
For we need a little Christmas
We need to celebrate Christmas
Right this very minute
This instance, without any delay
Candles in the window
Place candles in the windowsill
Carols at the spinet
Sing carols and play the spinet
Hasn't snowed a single flurry, but Santa dear we're in a hurry
It has not snowed yet, but we need to hurry because Santa is coming
Climb down the chimney
For Santa to deliver gifts, he must go down the chimney
Turn on the brightest string of lights I've ever seen
Illuminate the house with the brightest lights I have seen
Slice up the fruit cake
Cut the fruitcake for everyone to eat
It's time we've hung some tinsel on the evergreen bough
Now is the time to decorate the Christmas tree with tinsel
For I've grown a little leaner
I have become thinner (in the emotional sense)
Grown a little colder
I have become colder (in the emotional sense)
Grown a little sadder
I have become sadder (in the emotional sense)
Grown a little older
I have become older since last year
And I need a little angel
I need a guardian angel to watch over me
Sitting on my shoulder
To guide me through life
Need a little Christmas now
I need to celebrate Christmas now
For we need a little music
We need some melodies
Need a little laughter
We need some humor to lighten the mood
Need a little singing, ringing through the rafter
We need some singing that echoes through the rafters
And we need a little snappy
We need some high-spirited, upbeat mood
Happy ever after
Wishing to live happily ever after
Need a little Christmas now
We need to celebrate Christmas now
Lyrics ยฉ Kanjian Music, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Herman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TheAudivisioner
I play this when I need a lot of Christmas.
PROGRA 69
I can listen Christmas music all the year
Jesus Lover888
@PROGRA 69 To be honest, you're not alone in your sentiment! Christmas music makes my spirit very happy, no matter if it's in season or not!
Ari O.
BEST version of this song!!!!!!!!!!!! A minute and 55 seconds of PURE JOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PROGRA 69
Amazing song and very good version I can say!!!
MarkJoseph
I agree. Exuberant and very joyful...
Corey Ferguson
Just spectacular in every way. The best musicians, the best back-up singers, best arrangement, best recording techniques and Johnny Mathis. What a "God Given Talent". This is the best of the best hands down.
b________
Wow i love classic christmas music so much, but todays the first time i heard this song and i love it! Johnnys voice is great too!
โกSuper_Stromboliโก
I LITERALLY LOVE THIS VERSION ITS SO AMAZING
TLC jr.
This song is legend!