Historica Wiki
Historica Wiki
Advertisement
Johnny Mathis

John Royce "Johnny" Mathis (30 September 1935-) was an African-American singer-songwriter of popular music. Born in Gilmer, Texas, and he was raised in San Francisco, California and learned songs and dance routines from his father. He was a star high school athlete and went to school with future NBA star Bill Russell, but he also began singing in high school and released his first album in 1956. His 1956 song "It's Not for Me to Say" was featured in the 1957 film Lizzie, and his successes continued into the 1960s and 1970s, when he recorded several Christmas songs. Mathis was an active Republican, campaigning for California gubernatorial candidate Ronald Reagan in 1966; however, he was also a generous donor to the NAACP.

Advertisement