Singing legend Johnny Mathis back on tour and heading to Louisiana

Chances are, when velvet-voiced Johnny Mathis takes center stage in two upcoming Louisiana concerts, the atmosphere could turn Misty. 

Sure, some devoted Mathis fans might swoon teary-eyed with waves of emotional nostalgia witnessing the 86-year-old singing legend in person, but many will just dutifully sway to the familiar soothing melodies as the veteran performer delivers his signature ballads such as “Wonderful! Wonderful!,” “Chances Are,” and, of course, his 1959 hit – “Misty.”

Mathis’s schedule brings him to the Lake Charles Grand Event Center on March 4 followed by the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans March 6 as he continues his 2022 Voice of Romance Tour, interrupted last year by the pandemic (see www.johnnymathis.com). Although the latest viral wave continues to decline, the infectious menace remains a silent presence but has not deterred the soulful singer from continuing his tour this year. 

“Well, it’s what I do,” said Mathis from his home in Los Angeles during a tour break. “Except for earlier in the pandemic, I’ve been touring since I recorded my first album in 1956. I’m looking forward to coming to Louisiana and have many friends down there.”

Currently in his 66th year as a recording artist, the Mathis career statistics are impressive, including 79 original albums, 43 singles on the Billboard Pop Chart, 5 Grammy nominations as well as a 2003 Lifetime Achievement Grammy, and songs used in over 60 films and television shows.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Then there’s his historic 1958 Greatest Hits album, released just two years after his debut album, which became the first Greatest Hits album issued by any pop artist.

“Mitch Miller was responsible for that,” said Mathis, referring to the conductor and record producer best remembered for the 60s musical show “Sing Along with Mitch” on NBC. Mathis signed with Columbia Records in 1956 and still remembers his first meeting with Miller.

“He became head of popular music at Columbia,” said Mathis. “I was in New York and called to his office where he was smoking a cigar. He was loud, a little obnoxious, and I was gasping for air from the smoke. He had some music he thought I should record and threw the sheets across his desk at me. Mitch was all about making money – he had been an oboist and didn’t make much playing with an orchestra.”

To cash in on the growing Mathis phenomenon, Miller wanted to release a new album in the late 50s but the singer was in Europe. Mathis had scored big with recent hits, so Miller bundled several together on one record and “Johnny’s Greatest Hits” would spend almost 10 continuous years on the Billboard Top Albums Chart.

Ironically, Mathis’s signature song, “Misty,” didn’t appear on the 1958 compilation since it would be featured the following year on his “Heavenly” album. Written by Errol Garner (music) and Johnny Burke (lyrics), Mathis first heard the tune at the Black Hawk nightclub in San Francisco where he grew up.

“I used to go there as a teenager to watch the singers and the owner would let me sit in the back where no one could see me,” recalled Mathis who would eventually be discovered singing at the club. “Garner would perform several times a year and play this wonderful tune (Misty) on the piano with no lyrics. His piano introduction was about a minute and a half with all sorts of chord changes and, oh man, I loved hearing it.” 

Later, Mathis learned Burke had added lyrics to the melody. “Columbia usually chose all the songs for me to record but as soon as I got a chance to select something, I recorded Misty.”

The dominance of the so-called pop standard performers of the 40s and 50s would soon be displaced by rock 'n' roll singers and bands of the 50s and 60s. But fans of the enduring vocalist have never waned in their admiration for Mathis’s smooth inviting vocal tones and quintessential romantic songs, not to mention his beloved Christmas albums and jazz standards.

In the 1970s, Mathis was back with a vengeance with the 1978 Deniece Williams duet “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,” his first #1 hit in two decades since “Chances Are.” Earlier, in the same decade, younger audiences also discovered the Mathis silky voice when “Misty” inspired director Clint Eastward to use the song in his 1971 psychological thriller “Play Misty for Me.”

“I had nothing to do with the making of the movie but was over the moon when I saw the film used my favorite song!” said Mathis. “Clint and I became pals and have played golf many times since.”

While Mathis acknowledges the influence of many professional and personal buddies throughout his career, one always stands apart.

“I began singing because my dad sang,” says Mathis. “He was my best pal, and my true blessing is that he lived long enough to see my success as a singer.”

Nick Thomas teaches at Auburn University at Montgomery, in Alabama, and has written features, columns, and interviews for numerous magazines and newspapers. See www.tinseltowntalks.com.