Golden Year Puts Johnny Mathis on Center Stage
Johnny Mathis in 1963. Evening Standard/Getty Images hide caption
Johnny Mathis in 1963.
Evening Standard/Getty Images
Mathis performs in September at the Ella Awards. Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images Entertainment hide caption
Mathis performs in September at the Ella Awards.
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images EntertainmentFrom the Anniversary CDs
'Wonderful! Wonderful!'
'A Certain Smile'
'I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm'
From the PBS Special
Johnny Mathis is marking his 50th anniversary in show business, an occasion that has produced a celebration or two.
The singer is contributing not one, but two retrospective CDs. One collects such Mathis hits as "Chances Are," "Misty," "Wonderful! Wonderful" and "Twelfth of Never," among others.
Another pulls together his many holiday classics, from "Sleigh Ride" to "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." (The Christmas collection also offers a previously unreleased medley of "Winter Wonderland" and "Let It Snow" featuring Mathis and Bette Midler.)
Then there's a special concert performance -- Johnny Mathis: Gold -- that will be shown on PBS this month.
The performer takes a break from all that action to talk with Andrea Seabrook about his life, his music and how he almost passed up a recording career to compete in the Olympics.