He celebrates his birth on September 30 every year. HOLLYWOOD HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Singing superstar Johnny Mathis' Hollywood Hills home went up in flames on Monday. But I enjoy the company of golfers.". Per the outlet, it was snapped near the 1400 block of Sunset Plaza Drive. Johnny Mathis at his Hollywood Hills home on March 17, 2015. I know right where that house is and have seen Johnny drive up Sunset Plaza Drive to it off of Sunset many, many times in his Benz. Officials said the blaze began in a room filled with aquariums and other electrical equipment. During the press conference, Newsom said officials were working "around the clock" to "be as proactive as we can.". 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. His maternal grandmother was part Choctaw, and he suspects that his grandfather, whom his mother never knew, was white. I was right out of college and I was hot to trot. And I cant take Las Vegas seven nights a week, two or three shows a night, for a month at a time. Ive been to the White House thousands of times, he says. A black artist favored by predominantly white audiences. Statues adorn the patio, and a gazebo provides a secluded rest area. At present, Johnny Mathis has no partner that we know of. I cant believe they are kind enough to applaud each and every song in it. MORE: The real Howard Hughes, before he went off the rails and was still Hollywoods secret heartbreaker (1942). Men take umbrage to his tte--tteswith their women. Potter, a U.S. Navy veteran, has another bond with Mathis. Ask your mom or grandma about Johnny Mathis heterosexual women of the era positively adored the honey-throated singer known far and wide as simply "Johnny.". Johnny Mathis' home has suffered damage after a landslide occurred near his home amid heavy storms in California. He went on to record nearly 80 albums, 18 of which sold over 500,000, and 43 songs that made the . He also delights in preparing special meals for a few close friends. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. He has plenty of opinions. Q: Do you encounter people who saw you perform 60 years ago? The first greatest hits album: Johnny Mathis' 1958 collection Johnny's Greatest Hits, released less than two years into the singer's career. Among those who died was a 2-year-old boy, who authorities said was killed after a redwood tree fell on his home in Northern California. And literal soundtracks: Goodfellas, Play Misty for Me, Mad Men. In 2017, he recorded an album covering contemporary hits (Adele, Bruno Mars, Josh Groban) with smooth-jazz trimmings: Johnny Mathis Sings the Great New American Songbook. But his fans require the classics. By 1956, Mathis was in New York, recording his first album, the vocal jazz LP Johnny Mathis: A New Sound in Popular Music. All I do is try to produce a tone properly, and then nature takes its course.. 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. 'Looking good Johnny!' Besides good fortune, I owe a lot of my success to my good health, he said. Want all the latest news from The Villages delivered directly to your email inbox? 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Born John Royce Mathis in 1935, he became a star athlete at George Washington high school in San Francisco, California. A: Oh, gosh, yes. The latest: The Hollywood Hills home of music legend Johnny Mathis has had a hillside collapse in front of it as a representative for the star has revealed that no one was hurt and minimal damage . Wonderful!" "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. My crowds have long been 90 percent white. All rights reserved. His luggage are the only belongings he has left. He had lived there for 56 years, the only house he ever owned. The Bridgeport Recreation Center indoor facilities, outdoor facilities and family pool will be closed for maintenance on Friday, May 5. When the other kids used to listen to Elvis; I listened to Johnny Mathis, modeling my style after his, Streisand once said In a couple of hours, he is sitting down to eat, sometimes with a friend or two he has invited in, and is off to bed by 10:30 or 11 p.m. Music had always been a part of our household, Mathis remembers. You have to take advantage of every opportunity, Mathis says, flat on his back in socked feet while lifting 20-pound free weights. I did it in just one take., PS: If you liked this article, please share it! (To see more vintage celebrity home tours, look here! Did married couples really sleep in separate beds back in the 50s? People ask our opinions of things we dont even know anything about. In 1956 Mathis was living in his hometown, San Francisco, had taken voice lessons for five years and had spent one year at San Francisco State College where he had distinguished himself as an athlete. He is a gay man, who sang elegant, romantic songs that helped women and men fall in love. The singer also hosted his own tournament on the seniors circuit in 1985 and 1986. 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. He was a man in the vanguard but performing as a most traditional artist, with a catalogue of classics and a 29-piece band. "I have never socialized with other entertainers. A fire destroyed iconic singer Johnny Mathis' Hollywood Hills mansion Monday night. The idea was so widely despised that to be out and proud could quickly end a career. ClickAmericana.com is made with and by Synchronista LLC 2011-2022. Jill Ishkanian For Dailymail.com Johnny is a truly nice person who cares about people and treats musicians with great respect, said Gillespie, who performs at Katie Belles on Jan. 21. Mathis recorded Wonderful, Wonderful, a single that became an instant national hit. Songs like Small World, Misty and Its Not for Me to Say, still matter to Borad. Although he has often described as a romantic singer, his music entails traditional pop, Brazilian and Spanish music, and soul music. His prized piano now sits in the midst of the damage. He even does it on the road, when he can. "I had three weeks of finding out why I drank, how I could stop. These days he rents the studio. And for all of those years, Ive had a routine five days a week for about an hour. Gold had heard good things about up-and-coming singer Deniece Williams. The devastating blaze erupted around 5:30 p.m. at the hillside house on Stebbins Terrace, quickly collapsing part of the roof. Mathis has to like the person to respect the artist. Performing is a full-time job for me, not something I like to get away from.. MATHIS singing, however, extended to his school and social life. ", They also confirm the Jaguar does not belong to Mathis "and was merely parked on the street.". Last September, Mathis turned 84. Of course he always obliged!'. He even wrote a cookbook in 1982. There must be a thousand reasons, but none of them are valid.. Miller set up another session for Mathis, where he recorded what would become two hit singles: "Wonderful! Some of that love was reflected in an amendment Mathis made to his best life possible assessment recently. He played in pro-ams alongside monumental golfers like Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus and took lessons from players on the PGA Tour. Golf, he says, is one of the three or four most important things in life right now. As for "Misty," he hadn't even planned on recording it. Sign in . Framed by his gazebo, Mathis doodles on his sketch pad. Its easy to just work all the time, but thats one-sided. He got his handicap, a relative and numerical measure of golf ability, down to a seven (which is extremely good). The home is beautifully redone now and would love to see those rooms now. A velvety-voiced, charismatic, inoffensively handsome crooner who keeps his private life private while peddling songs that appeal to a middle-aged and older audience? Mathis says that people sometimes tell him that he sounds exactly the same as on an early record. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . People in show business like myself are constantly spoiled by the rest of the world. Its location in the Hills made it very difficult for firefighters to reach the house. The fourth of seven children, John Royce Mathis was born on September 30, 1935 in Gilmer, Texas to Clem and Mildred Mathis. The house fire sparked about 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 2 and soon turned into a raging inferno that took 41 firemen to douse. I havent done anything consciously about changing my voice. He was singing in 1956 with a group of young musicians in a jam session at San Franciscos Black Hawk nightclub, owned by Helen and John Noga, when Helen heard him and decided she wanted to manage his career. Youre so close to people that theyre staring down your throat. "I was there with a bunch of Jesuit priests," Mathis said. An old-school crooner more akin to Frank Sinatra than Jerry Lee Lewis, Mathis was elegant, consistent, and, most of all, romantic. The Hollywood Hills home of vocal legend Johnny Mathis was severely damaged in a fire on Monday, Nov. 2. 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. I was comfortable with Leontyne Price, Beverly Sills, Miles Davis, Cole Porter.. , updated Johnny Mathis Bio (Age) John Royce Mathis was born on the 30th of September 1935 in Gilmer Texas. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1971. She played saxophone in the orchestra backing him up. The rest is left to the gods., BUT THAT good fortune has always sided with Mathis, 40. It seemed unlikely then that he would achieve much success. Dr. Jacobson's "miracle tissue regenerator" treatments included amphetamines, according to The Washington Post, and Mathis' use of them left him hospitalized for a spell. Its a great mind relaxer. Johnny was born on September 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas, United States. The city of San Francisco also held an official "Johnny Mathis Day" in 1957. Johnny Mathis was close friends with First Lady Nancy Reagan, who urged American kids to resist drugs by imploring them to "Just Say No." Firefighters helped to save some of the treasures from Mathis' successful career. At a post-concert meet-and-great, hes dutiful and gracious, but both hands are shoved deep into his khaki pockets. I was not hostile. 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Source: Photos include those from Ebony Magazines in 1965 and 1976. ", "Once a City permit is issued, the dirt and debris will be safely moved and repair work can commence," they tell PEOPLE. By Brady once worked with Denice Williams, who combined for an upbeat hit with Mathis called, Too Much, Too Little, Too Late, in 1978. Johnny Mathis, fully known as John Royce Mathis, is an American singer-songwriter now in his eighties. "The house is totaled, absolutely totaled. How did he slip by?, Smokey Robinson on love, Motown and sex at 83: I feel as good as I felt when I was 40, Harry Belafonte, activist and entertainer, dies at 96, Did Ed Sheeran hit pilfer Marvin Gaye classic? Mathis says this is the only home he has ever owned, and it's still too early to tell if he will rebuild. Johnny Mathis always had that beautiful, unique voice and his music still holds up, said Borad, a percussionist with the New Horizons Band, The Villages Concert Band, Celebration Brass Band and other local groups. But why would I not want to take advantage of the audience that I have, and show them what its like being 80 years old, and show them how much there is still to be done? 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. 'Johnny looks amazing for his age, and is full of energy. While attending college, Johnny Mathis continued performing at various local jazz clubs. Mathis even has a room in his house that serves as a cookbook library. 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. and "It's Not for Me to Say.". An unlikely act stole the show last month at . Mathis, now 87, is a pop and jazz singer inducted in the Grammy Hall. A confidant of Nancy Reagan (we talked about everything and everyone), who nudged him to deal with his champagne habit at a Jesuit rehab in Havre de Grace, Md. Four months after a fire destroyed his Hollywood Hills home of 56 years, Johnny Mathis sounded remarkably upbeat. An early riser (Im up by 6 or 6:30), Mathis usually settles for large glasses of cool water in the mornings, then prepares a lunch as he does all his own meals; he is an excellent cook which he puts into a brown bag, then climbs into his $29,000 silver-mink Mercedes-Benz coupe and drives off to his 17th-floor, glass-walled office on Sunset Boulevard, arriving about 8 a.m. ALSO SEE: See singer/TV star Dinah Shores Beverly Hills home including her living room, kitchen & guest house, After work, he goes shopping for dinner. One, Johnnys Greatest Hits, has been on the Billboard chart for more than nine years. Yet it has taken a lot of struggle for Mathis to be able to say, as he does today, I have a wonderful life. Long before the terms multiracial and gender-fluid came into vogue, Mathis owned those spaces.

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