Johnny Mathis Quotes

Powerful Johnny Mathis for Daily Growth

About Johnny Mathis

Born on September 30, 1935, in San Francisco, Johnny Mathis is an American singer, songwriter, and actor who has made significant contributions to music over six decades. Known for his distinctive vocal style and wide-ranging baritone, Mathis' career spans various genres including pop, jazz, and R&B. Raised in a musical family, Mathis' passion for singing began at an early age. Encouraged by his parents, he started performing publicly while still in school, eventually winning a local talent show that led to his first professional recording contract with Columbia Records in 1956. His debut album, 'Johnny Mathis: A New Sound in Popular Song,' was released the same year and quickly became a commercial success. Influenced by jazz greats such as Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong, Mathis' style is characterized by his smooth and emotive delivery. He has recorded more than 70 albums and has had over 35 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including 'Chances Are,' 'It's Not for Me to Say,' and 'Misty.' Mathis' career took a new direction in the late 1960s when he transitioned from pop standards to contemporary music. His rendition of 'This Guy's in Love with You' won him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 1971. In addition to his musical success, Mathis has also ventured into acting, appearing in films such as 'Lorelei' (1947) and 'Marjorie Morningstar' (1958). Still active today, Johnny Mathis remains one of the most respected and beloved figures in American music. His timeless voice and enduring popularity have earned him numerous accolades, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. Known for his philanthropic work and charitable endeavors, Mathis continues to enchant audiences worldwide with his unique blend of style and class.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Music is the language of the spirit. It cuts through all the nonsense and touches the very soul."

This quote by Johnny Mathis emphasizes the profound emotional impact of music. He sees it as a universal, transcendent form of communication that speaks directly to our core essence (the "spirit"), bypassing intellectual or verbal barriers. By cutting through the superficial ("nonsense") and reaching deep within us, music has the power to touch, move, and heal people on an intimate level. Essentially, Mathis suggests that music is a powerful tool for connecting with one's own soul and with others.


"There's a freedom in singing jazz because there are no restrictions."

The quote suggests that the essence of jazz music lies in its creative freedom, as it lacks the rigid structure found in many other forms of music. This liberating quality allows artists like Johnny Mathis to express themselves more authentically and creatively without being confined by strict rules or conventions, hence making the experience of singing jazz an exhilarating and liberating one.


"I believe that music is the foundation of our lives."

The quote by Johnny Mathis, "I believe that music is the foundation of our lives," suggests that music plays a fundamental role in human existence. This statement emphasizes the powerful impact of music on people's emotional, social, and psychological well-being. Music not only brings joy, but it also serves as a means to communicate, build connections, express feelings, and understand different cultures. In essence, Mathis' quote highlights the essential role that music plays in shaping our lives and experiences.


"When I sing, I feel completely free."

This quote highlights the emotional liberation that Johnny Mathis experiences when he sings. It suggests a deep connection between his music, emotions, and sense of freedom. Singing for him is not just an act but a means to express himself fully without any constraints or boundaries. In essence, it's about using his voice as a tool to break free from the confines of daily life and tap into a realm where he can freely express his feelings and soul.


"Life is a melody to the music of time."

This quote by Johnny Mathis suggests that life, much like a melodious tune, follows the rhythm of time. Just as a melody has its own unique flow and structure, life too unfolds in its own way, filled with moments of joy, sorrow, and everything in between. The implication is that we should appreciate each moment as part of the beautiful symphony that is our life, understanding that every phase, whether sweet or bitter, contributes to the overall harmony of our existence.


People are stubborn about what they perceive to be the right thing or the wrong thing, and it takes a long time to filter this human condition. There's a waiting period until people catch up. But if you have patience - which it takes when someone thinks differently from you - everybody always catches up. That patience is a wonderful virtue.

- Johnny Mathis

Waiting, Stubborn, Everybody, Human Condition

I decided right away that whomever was going to advise me had to be fundamentally interested in music. This protected me from the skullduggery common to the music industry then and that still exists today. Of course, using this method meant that some things we didn't know and just had to learn how to do it together.

- Johnny Mathis

Some, Away, Had, Whomever

I always have homemade chicken stock in the refrigerator. I'll reduce it, maybe add a little cream and a few shallots. Before you know it, eureka! It's the best.

- Johnny Mathis

Always, Add, Reduce, Eureka

When I was very young, it was all, 'Here's little Johnny,' and I got stuck with it, but I prefer John. There comes a time in a man's life when he shouldn't have a name ending in 'y'.

- Johnny Mathis

Here, Very, Prefer, Johnny

When I got a chance, I went back and shared those experiences that were important to me. George Washington High, the campus at San Francisco State, and even back to Emerson Elementary school and Roosevelt Junior High. I was happy to do it, to go back and see if all the same teachers were there.

- Johnny Mathis

Francisco, Shared, Emerson, Junior

I drank too much, only champagne.

- Johnny Mathis

Only, Champagne, Too, Drank

Dad would come home from doing odd jobs, and sometimes he'd come home late at night with lumber, and he'd rumble around with all this wood in our small place. We'd finish putting it away, and then we'd play that piano. I'll be eternally grateful to him.

- Johnny Mathis

Small, Play, Doing, Odd

It's always nice to hear people say, 'You sound the same,' when I know I don't.

- Johnny Mathis

Sound, Say, Always, Hear People

My aspirations were never anything other than I really, really admired certain singers over the years, and I just wanted to do the best I could. And that has been kind of like the way I've been fortunate enough to be able to have a career, have some success, and yet continue to learn my craft.

- Johnny Mathis

Some, Other, Been, Aspirations

I've never been married, and I have no regrets about not starting my own family. I come from a large one, so there are so many people around all the time. I've been very happy, but I've never gotten married. That's about the size of it. I would have been a good father because I've been a father to my brothers' and sisters' children.

- Johnny Mathis

No Regrets, Been, Very, Starting

Every performer has a little gem, a little pearl they have done that nobody pays much attention to. And then one day, somebody does recognize it, which is so gratifying.

- Johnny Mathis

Performer, One Day, Which, Much Attention

I invite a lot of my friends to some of the performances that I do locally, and some of them know that I'm involved with music, but they're not quite sure how. And so it's kind of fun to play golf with a lot of my friends and then invite them to hear me sing once in a while.

- Johnny Mathis

Play, Some, While, Locally

My claim to fame has always been that iconic picture that ended up in 'The San Francisco Chronicle' of Bill Russell jumping over my head.

- Johnny Mathis

Always, Over, Francisco, Claim

Even though there's no forum for me on the radio for the kind of music I sing anymore, I am still excited about having a career where I can sing the best music in the world, and people will come and hear me because of the hit records I've had in the past.

- Johnny Mathis

Career, Records, About, Forum

I believe it was Nat King Cole that my dad took me to see, and we were sitting in the dressing room, and I blurted out to him, 'Why didn't you sing this?' Referring to whatever song I had wanted to hear, and he told me he was tired of singing it.

- Johnny Mathis

Why, Had, Dad, Dressing Room

No, I don't regret my decision at all, especially after I started this music career. My eyes were as big as saucers.

- Johnny Mathis

Decision, Career, Big, Music Career

I've found that the more friends I have, the luckier I am.

- Johnny Mathis

I Am, More, Found, Luckier

I also met, early on Ella Fitzgerald. Her songbooks are some of the most amazing bodies of work.

- Johnny Mathis

Work, Some, Ella Fitzgerald, Ella

I've found that if I limit my talking, just everyday talking, a couple of days before I have to sing, my voice is stronger. That really is about the only precaution that I take: I try to rest it as much as possible and keep the nutritional value of my food up.

- Johnny Mathis

Voice, Before, Couple, Nutritional

I had a good record company right from the beginning, and I'm still with them after all these years. I think I may be the only person in the world that's had a tenure this long with any record company.

- Johnny Mathis

Beginning, I Think, Had, Good Record

All of a sudden, I was in charge of my own decisions in the studio, and I didn't have someone to guide me on what I was doing, right or wrong... I wasn't a producer, and I didn't realize until then how important producers were and how much they assisted me in my work. I tried to do what I could, but I had no idea what would be good for the market.

- Johnny Mathis

Doing, Idea, Studio, Assisted

Every time I try to tell people things about my career, I wonder if that's the truth or something I'm fantasizing about.

- Johnny Mathis

Career, Tell, About, Every Time

Most of the people I hang out with who sing love it, and they just want to do it until they die. I still look forward to the performances. And believe it or not, they're all kind of different. Even though you sing the same songs, and maybe you go to the same venues, it just feels completely different every time you go on stage.

- Johnny Mathis

Love, Die, Feels, Every Time

I had stage fright for years and years, and I could hear it in my singing. But since I've done it so often for so many years, you'd think that I'd relax a little bit, and I think that I have.

- Johnny Mathis

I Think, Stage Fright, Fright

Most of our physical education teachers were just teachers, and they had to do the extra stuff on their own. I remember very vividly that they would hold a cane pole between two of the students down low, and we would all jump over it. And they would raise it and raise it and raise it.

- Johnny Mathis

I Remember, Over It, Very, Cane

I've recorded in Portuguese, too. I didn't set out to just sing ballads or romantic songs.

- Johnny Mathis

Out, Set, Recorded, Portuguese

I got an invitation to go to the Olympic trials. And in the same week, I got a telegram from a... big executive at Columbia Records.

- Johnny Mathis

Week, Big, Olympic, Telegram

That's a big important deal, the way people see you from the stage. Once in a while, I'd ask people, 'How did you enjoy the show?' 'Hey, you looked great.' But how did I sound? That visual look is very important to people.

- Johnny Mathis

Big, Deal, Very, Hey

I love Puccini and that oriental influence in his music.

- Johnny Mathis

Love, I Love, His, Oriental

The fact that I'm not a good musician - I throw it around, tell people that - it doesn't matter that much. It only matters to me, because I idolized good musicians. I absolutely worshiped them.

- Johnny Mathis

Musicians, Fact, Tell, Idolized

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