Mathis has to like the person to respect the artist. I was drinking, and she suggested I might have a problem," Mathis told CBS Sunday Morning of what The New York Times said was an affinity gone too far for champagne. HOLLYWOOD HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Singing superstar Johnny Mathis' Hollywood Hills home went up in flames on Monday. "Now, I guess 80 is the new 50.". Just ask Barbra Streisand. At the time of the fire, he told the press he was glad no one had been hurt, saying: 'We can always replace things. Mathis has remained extremely loyal to Columbia. When I wake up in the morning, the only thing that pops into my head is that Im going to have to sing, he recently told the Washington Times. What did Connie Cox teach Johnny Mathis to do? I still look forward to the performances. All I do is sing; I love to sing. "There's an indoor pool and a lot of plastic over above," Mathis said. BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -Johnny Mathis, master of the velvet vibrato, exercises with a personal trainer at 5:30 in the blasted morning every weekday that he's not on perpetual tour of midsize. At San Francisco State College, he ran the hurdles, excelled in basketball, and, as a high jumper, set the college record of 6 feet, 5 inches, beating by a half-inch a previous high mark set by Bill Russell of basketball fame. The 85-year-old crooner was spotted arriving at the popular French bistro on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood for an early dinner with two friends on Saturday night. One night at the 440 Club in San Francisco, a Columbia Records executive heard Mathis sing. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Miller set up another session for Mathis, where he recorded what would become two hit singles: "Wonderful! Singing superstar Johnny Mathis surveyed the shocking scene after his Hollywood Hills home went up in flames on Monday. An old-school crooner more akin to Frank Sinatra than Jerry Lee Lewis, Mathis was elegant, consistent, and, most of all, romantic. These days he rents the studio. Little reveals his age except a slight shuffle (two titanium hips) and his 1950s songbook. How old was Johnny Mathis when he was born? The significant role played by bitcoin for businesses! "In this era of rock 'n roll and novelty tunes, the romantic voice of Johnny Mathis singing sweet music has moved this young man . ", That marked the second time Mathis fought a substance abuse issue. JOHNNY MATHIS HOUSE FOR SALE - YouTube "I was thinking maybe a little fire," Mathis would later tell reporters. The fourth of seven children, John Royce Mathis was born on September 30, 1935 in Gilmer, Texas to Clem and Mildred Mathis. VERY sad! All rights reserved. A homeless man was arrested after pitching a tent on property in Lady Lake. "We were sitting around, you know. The Reason Johnny Mathis Hated Two Of His Most Famous Songs Johnny Mathis was a remarkable athlete as a teenager, but he didn't discover his passion for golf until adulthood, during some time off during a stand at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas in 1965. He sets a city high school jumping record, and is a star basketball player. Johnny isnt a rock and roll singer. Trial to tell, For Patrick Stewart, Jean-Luc Picard is the biggest thing thats ever happened to me, Soundgarden, widow of Chris Cornell settle, paving way for new Soundgarden album. Mathis music not only transcends sexual orientation but also generations and color, Potter said. Johnny Mathis house fire! | Steve Hoffman Music Forums Sarah Vaughn, do it on her album, Vaughn and Violins., At the time he started to sing it for his recording, Mathis says, he was thinking of it as a favor to the composer, Erroll Garner. A fire destroyed iconic singer Johnny Mathis' Hollywood Hills mansion Monday night. On that sad November night when he lost his home, Mathis was able to put everything in perspective. He still plays tennis and golf and was seen sporting a hat with PGA insignia during the dinner outing. The celebrity sighting came during Memorial Day weekend, which saw an increase in restaurant traffic in Los Angeles as many people who had been avoiding large gatherings due to Covid fears and restrictions, were now feeling at ease. As far as Im concerned, its the best life that I could possibly have at the moment.. One, Johnnys Greatest Hits, has been on the Billboard chart for more than nine years. A black artist favored by predominantly white audiences. Officials said the blaze began in a room filled with aquariums and other electrical equipment. Below: Guests are offered a breathtaking view of Los Angeles from the bar in the rec room. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. But its a true story, and for all of its Cinema Gulch dramatics, there is little that is Hollywood about John Royce Mathis, the storys protagonist. We talk, saying things like, Strings come in here. Then we send the tape to whoever were having arrange the album that is. All rights reserved. Mathis grew up in a large working-class family in San Francisco. Mathis' home was left without power, and pipes were exposed, ABC7 reported. Below: An excellent cook, Mathis prepares all his own meals, packing his lunch in a brown paper bag. Potter, a U.S. Navy veteran, has another bond with Mathis. When he stopped his car, someone told Mathis there was a fire up the road in his house. Mathis lives in Hollywood but records, as he always has, in the Columbia Records studio in New York. You have to take advantage of every opportunity, Mathis says, flat on his back in socked feet while lifting 20-pound free weights. I started working with him, and that was many years ago. Denice told me that his smooth style was envied by every solo singer of the time, Brady said. Johnny Mathis in his Beverly Hills penthouse, where he is staying while restoring his fire-damaged home. Mathis likes to make records, but doesnt like to record for TV where he has to do it twice once taping his appearance and later taping his voice to synchronize with the movements of his lips. I was right out of college and I was hot to trot. He prefers not to be known for them. I think its a sign of progress that more of the people from that generation have come out, Potter said. All of his albums have made Billboard Magazines Top 100 Chart. Accept. Still, rumors persisted about the romantic preferences of certain celebrities, including Johnny Mathis. His luggage are the only belongings he has left. They make for a great overview or introduction to an artist's work, and they rank among the best-selling albums of all time the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits is actually the top-selling LP of any kind in American history. And Im the person to do it. ! Other elements right out of the Mathis playbook, according to Esquire: Baldwin performs "They Say It's Wonderful" at a Las Vegas show, which Mathis recorded in 1959; Baldwin names Nat King Cole as an inspiration (just like Mathis); and toward the end of season three, Shy confides to Midge that he's gay and has to keep it secret, a situation Mathis also faced in his heyday. His smooth voice and musical talent soon propelled him to worldwide fame. He says This sounds just awful. It seemed unlikely then that he would achieve much success. People ask our opinions of things we dont even know anything about. Ossers wife sometimes is in the act, too. Its all part of the Mathis mystique. There must be a thousand reasons, but none of them are valid.. Johnny Mathis starts an interview by nervously explaining that he wont be talking about such things as hobbies and opinions on world affairs. Mathis also had another historic best seller with his Christmas album, Merry Christmas in 1958 that sold millions. It's unclear what caused it. Imagine 80 years old.56 years in that house and now.POOF! The singles market today is largely rock n roll instead of ballads, but Mathis says. I play every day, and I shoot in the low 80s and high 70s. If a song conveys the message I need, and it has all the qualities that I conjure up in my mind that are important, then I give it a try.. He played in pro-ams alongside monumental golfers like Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus and took lessons from players on the PGA Tour. So I decided that I was everything, he says. Of Streisand, he once confessed that he was always a little frightened of her she has a reputation for being difficult to work with. Now, he calls her one of my best pals. Like him, she came out as gay during the early 1980s. So, who is Johnny Mathis's wife? "Greatest hits" albums may be blatant cash grabs, but they've got their place. According to Golf Digest, he's a member at three different golf clubs in the Los Angeles area and plays about 300 times a year. According to Golf Digest, he's a member at three different golf clubs in the Los Angeles area and plays about 300 times a year. "We knew Deniece was big in the R&B area so I said, 'maybe we can get some of the R&B diehards to listen to some of my music,' " Mathis told Billboard. He has admitted battles of alcohol and drug abuse. He also declined to speak on the topic of his sexuality for decades. He says he does not regret this as he has many nephews and nieces to care for, thanks to his siblings. To see more vintage celebrity home tours, look here! Q: What is your routine? Jill Ishkanian For Dailymail.com, 'NO neck support!' What is the Net Worth of Johnny Mathis? House, Mansion, Cars, Earnings Mathis received the Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 for hits like 'Misty,' 'Chances Are,' 'The Twelfth of Never', 'It's Not For Me To Say,' and more. Despite the pain of his loss, a pal of Mathis said, "Johnny is fortunate. A representative for Johnny Mathis tells PEOPLE that it's not clear how much damage his home has suffered after a hillside collapsed nearby. He was a man in the vanguard but performing as a most traditional artist, with a catalogue of classics and a 29-piece band. Most often asked questions related to bitcoin. His father performed briefly in vaudeville and exposed all of the Mathis siblings to music. Here's a look into the long and fascinating life of Johnny Mathis, the undisputed king of soft rock. They clarify that the vehicle did not belong to the singer, but is "the car of a very nice neighbor of his. According to Andy Zax's "Lost in Lost Music: Rediscovering Johnny Mathis'I Love My Lady," a keynote presentation at the 2009 EMP Pop Conference, no one at the company made any steps to release it, choosing instead to send a greatest hits album to stores. ), Adapted from an article by Bill Thompson The Miami Herald (Florida) September 8, 1977, I owe a great deal of my success to good fortune, Johnny Mathis said recently. In college, he ran the high hurdles in 13 seconds, played basketball against Bill Russell, and high-jumped six feet, six inches. If you can keep your equilibrium, which is what my mother and father helped me do, I think you can have some degree of happiness., By Mary Campbell The Tennessean (Nashville, Tennessee) September 4th, 1966. (To see more vintage celebrity home tours, look here! Mathis sports an enviable halo of sable hair. I still wanted to be a jazz singer, Mathis said. This is not the first disaster to befall the singer's home. His first three records, Wonderful, Wonderful, Its Not for Me to Say, and Chances Are, each sold a million copies. He didn't have time to make that happen, so label chief Mitch Miller had another idea: Compile the singer's singles. On Jan. 10, a hillside collapsed near Mathis' estate in Hollywood Hills, a representative for the "Misty" singer confirms to PEOPLE. Legendary soul and jazz singer Johnny Mathis watched his Hollywood Hills mansion get destroyed by a fire on Monday night. She wrote I Dream of You, More Than You Dream I Do, which Mathis recorded. She says, like Mathis, she is living with the truth. The Bridgeport Recreation Center indoor facilities, outdoor facilities and family pool will be closed for maintenance on Friday, May 5. Firefighters battled a blaze Monday evening at the Hollywood Hills home of legendary singer Johnny Mathis. I did it in just one take., PS: If you liked this article, please share it! The rest is left to the gods., BUT THAT good fortune has always sided with Mathis, 40. Besides the personal loss for Johnny, the fire is creating a huge rift in our office. He's owned it for 56 years. MATHIS singing, however, extended to his school and social life. Still, back in October, 1957, when Mathis sang Chances Are on Dick Clarks American Bandstand, it was a different time and different world. Everytime I hear The 12th Of Never, it still gets me. Hollywood Home of Singer Johnny Mathis Burned in Fire