Mathis, Johnny (1935- )

US singer. A crooner of romantic ballads, he made his breakthrough in 1957 with four hit singles, including ‘Chances Are’. By 1996 he had made more than 75 albums and sold over 100 million records

Mathis was born in San Francisco and was a successful athlete before turning to singing. Influenced by popular jazz and ballad singers, he made his first recordings in 1956, resulting in the hit ‘Wonderful! Wonderful!’. Other favourites include ‘Misty’ (1959), ‘Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head’ (1970), and ‘Too Much, Too Little, Too Late’ (a duet with Deniece Williams, 1978). He played the role of a nightclub singer and sang the title song in the film A Certain Smile (1958).