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.
You Are So Beautiful
Johnny Mathis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are the girl whose eyes met mine just as your boat sailed by
This I know of you, nothing more
You are the girl whose eyes met mine passing the river shore
You are the girl whose laugh I heard
Silver and soft and bright
Soft as the fall of lotus leaves
Brushing the air of night
Gently your eyes looked back on mine
Clearly you heard me say
"You are the girl I will love some day"
While your flower boat sailed away
Gently your eyes looked back on mine
Clearly you heard me say
"You are the girl I will love some day
In "You Are So Beautiful," Johnny Mathis paints a picture of a lovely yet elusive girl who he has only caught glimpses of, but who has made an indelible impression on him. He describes her as beautiful, small, and shy, emphasizing her physical appeal while also hinting at a vulnerability or innocence. The fact that he knows very little else about her adds to her mystery and allure. Mathis recounts a moment when their eyes met as her boat sailed by; this encounter seems to have left a lasting impact on him, and he can't help but wonder about the girl's identity and hope for a chance to connect with her again.
The second verse of the song continues to elaborate on the girl's beauty by describing her laugh as "silver and soft and bright" and comparing it to "lotus leaves brushing the air of night." This ethereal and poetic language further emphasizes the girl's otherworldly appeal. Mathis imagines her sailing away in a flower boat, but not without glancing back at him one last time. In this moment, he takes the opportunity to express his interest in her, telling her that she is the girl he will love someday. This declaration is simultaneously romantic and wistful, as Mathis acknowledges that he doesn't yet have a way to reach the girl or pursue a relationship with her.
Overall, "You Are So Beautiful" is a song about the power of fleeting connections and the hope that such encounters can inspire. Mathis's vivid description of the girl he has glimpsed adds to the song's sense of yearning and nostalgia, capturing the feeling of a missed opportunity that lingers long after the moment has passed.
Line by Line Meaning
You are beautiful, small, and shy
I see you as a delicate and bashful person with a striking physical appearance
You are the girl whose eyes met mine just as your boat sailed by
I remember the moment I first saw you, making eye contact as you passed me on a boat
This I know of you, nothing more
I don't know much about you other than the brief encounter we had
You are the girl whose eyes met mine passing the river shore
You are the same girl who made eye contact with me as your boat went by the river bank
You are the girl whose laugh I heard
I can still recall the sound of your laughter
Silver and soft and bright
It was a gentle and melodious sound that left a lasting impression on me
Soft as the fall of lotus leaves
The sound was as delicate and soothing as the petals of a lotus flower falling
Brushing the air of night
The sound of your laughter seemed to linger in the tranquil night air
While your flower boat sailed away
As you drifted away on your boat made of flowers
Gently your eyes looked back on mine
You turned your head and glanced back at me with a tender gaze
Clearly you heard me say
You were close enough to hear the words I spoke
"You are the girl I will love some day"
I couldn't help expressing my deep feelings for you, hoping to see you again and maybe even fall in love with you
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: OSCAR II HAMMERSTEIN, RICHARD RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Manuel angel Poo Arenas
Johnny Mathis, uno de los mejores cantantes e interpretes de todos los tiempos.
Kathryn Wanke
I can’t get enough of this performance between John and Diahann! I just looooooooove them!❤️🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 Such Grace n elegance! Breathtaking! Thanks again M for sharing this incredible performance!
1uniquemonique
A beautiful song performed by two beautiful voices and two beautiful people. Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful video.
Steve Williams
Amazing, beautiful musicianship. Just rediscovered Mathis after many years of thinking him a bit passe and of my mother's generation. But he's just class. Simple.
Paul
I have liked him since 1960s saw him at the appolo london
Ken Lee
Omg-he's AMAZING-can't believe I found this version with the Wurlitzer organ in this rendition of Billy Preston's song.
Rob Sharp
+Steve Williams second that Steve,just an incredible singer,so many more great songs and versions to his repertoire.
gemeyes2
Could you imagine having Johnny Mathis sit in front of you and sing this song to you? I'd cry...tears of happiness of course. Beautiful...thanks for sharing another lovely piece from Johnny. I think Johnny is the most beautiful man in the whole wide world. God bless our Johnny Mathis forever and ever..Jane in Ohio
sandra maria casagrande
Para mim ele sempre será o homem mais lindo do mundo.
marie harris
He has always been so exquisitely handsome and the sound of his vouce raise me to the heavens!
There is no voice on the planet as beautiful as his. It is truly a DIVINE GIFT! Not of this world.
He is an ANGEL who decided to descend amongst us humans to lift up our souls!