Johnny Mathis Quotes

Author Image

Johnny Mathis

Profession : Musician

Birth : September 30, 1935

I love the whole aspect of music, especially the singing; I never get tired of finding new songs to sing and sing them in a way that's interesting for the public.

Johnny Mathis

I drank too much, only champagne.

Johnny Mathis

It doesn't mean a thing when others tell you you're good. You have to feel it yourself.

Johnny Mathis

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

Johnny Mathis

There are situations when, in your singing, in your interpretation of songs, for instance, when you want a straight tone. And I have to work really hard at getting a straight tone... That's sort of like if you have curly hair, you have curly hair.

Johnny Mathis

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

I go to the gym rather early with a workout pal. I get there at 7, or a little before, and do weights and a little cardio for an hour, five days a week.

Johnny Mathis

But I am very grateful for my success, and with success, of course, comes a whole lot of celebrity.

Johnny Mathis

I'd rather starve than not have what I really want to eat. I'm good at preparation.

Johnny Mathis

Sure, I've thought about retiring, but in my mind, if you can't sing the song anymore, change the song and sing a different one!

Johnny Mathis

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

Sometimes being famous gets in the way of doing what you want to do.

Johnny Mathis

My favorite singer to this day is Nat King Cole. I've tried to emulate his phrasing. It is so absolutely beautiful to listen to his lovely voice.

Johnny Mathis

I used to stay up all night, roam around, drink, and carry on like everybody else. That all changed when I got older, started to exercise and play golf. I knew by the time the day was over I would not feel like exercising, so I made it a point to exercise early.

Johnny Mathis

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

At this stage, most of the awards I get are concerned with my longevity. Even I'm amazed at myself because there have been new generations since I've been born and new music that they create, so it's amazing to still be on the radar.

Johnny Mathis

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

I really, really enjoy music and that's why I do what I do.

Johnny Mathis

I'm just one of the lucky people. I have no other reason for my longevity.

Johnny Mathis

In other words, the celebrity gets out of hand, and if you're not careful, you will forget what you are about - and that is you are about making music that people want to hear.

Johnny Mathis