The Songwriter

Country Johnny Mathis, not to be confused with the pop singer of the same name was born September 28, 1930 in Maude, Texas, was known as both a Country singer and songwriter. He grew up the middle child of 7 children as the son of a holiness preacher. He learned to sing and play guitar in his dad’s church and the family picked cotton to make ends meet. By the time Johnny was 15,  he quit school and began playing in the honky tonks in East Texas. He discovered music was a good way to stay out of the cotton fields!

Country Johnny Mathis, as he was labeled early in his career to distinguish himself from the other emerging singer of the same name, began his career as a recording artist on the StarTalent label in 1949. He would go on to record for a number of record labels during his music career including Chess, Columbia, D Records, Mercury, Decca, United Artists, Little Darlin', Hilltop and Stonegate. As a part of the duet, Jimmy and Johnny, he scored a Top 10 hit in 1953 with the song, "If You Don't Somebody Else Will" released on Chess Records. Johnny's highest charting single as a soloist, "Please Talk To My Heart"(Top 15), occurred while recording for United Artists in 1963.   He's appeared on the Louisiana Hayride, Big D Jamboree, The Grand Ole Opry, The Wilburn Brothers Show and TNN's Nashville Now  to name a few. Mathis was a regular performer on the Louisiana Hayride through much of the 50's.

As a songwriter, Country Johnny Mathis had his songs recorded by George Jones (over 20 cuts), Tammy Wynette, Johnny Paycheck, Charlie Pride, Johnny Horton, Ray Price, Jimmy Dean, George Hamilton IV, Freddy Fender, Melba Montgomery, Webb Pierce, The Whites, Carl Smith, Bobby Helms, Elvis Costello and many, many others. Mathis has been credited with writing over 500 songs, several of which have been on gold albums, charted on the Country charts and garnered BMI airplay performance awards. (Note: Johnny has had multiple songs recorded by Country Music Hall of Fame inductees: Carl Smith, Webb Pierce, Charlie Pride, Tammy Wynette, Ray Price and George Jones. He also had hit songs published by Hall of Fame member, Fred Rose. Feddy Fender is a US Hispanic Country Music Hall of Fame Member, Grammy Winner and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.)

Mathis was also one of “those” songwriters in his Country Music days; the kind that others knew would sell a song outright or sell his writer’s share. He sold “Am I That Easy To Forget” outright to Shelby Singleton for $15 to which Johnny later said he spent the money by buying a fifth of Vodka, playing pinball and staying at the YMCA that night. The song later became a Country standard and a BMI award winning song.  He sold his writer’s share of Jimmy and Johnny's chart-topping, “If You Don’t Somebody Else Will”, in 1954 for $125 which later was recorded by 7 major artists and also became a BMI award winning song. “Please Talk To My Heart”, another BMI award winning song was traded with the agreement that the balance that he owed the music store for his acoustic guitar would be paid off, later that night someone broke into his hotel room and stole the guitar. There is story after story of songwriter shares being used to trade for radio promotion or some deal that would further his career as an artist. For songs that he retained his writer’s shares on, he wasn’t paid for decades on royalties, including cuts by Charlie Pride, Johnny Paycheck, Elvis Costello, The Whites and others.

After spending 30 years living the lifestyle of the songs he wrote, Johnny had a life changing experience driving down a Texas road in the 1960’s, thinking about how he needed to thank someone who he was about to make a music deal with and then started writing “I’m Gonna Thank Jesus”. This moment was a spiritual turning point for him and changed his life. He abandoned his Country Music career for the most part and returned to his holiness church roots from which he sprang and began to sing and evangelize in churches across the country. He later met Jeannie McLain in a little church in Louisiana where he was holding revival services and they married and had 3 sons.  Johnny spent most of his time during the 70's, 80's and 90's writing and singing Gospel music and raising a family. He was a devoted father, passing along his love for music, faith and dedication, to his sons. Many times taking his young musicians to the local nursing homes to play music for the sick and elderly. Most of that time he worked painting houses for a living. A visit in 1980 from his old producer, Aubrey Mayhew, talked Mathis into moving to Nashville to write for his publishing company. This stint lasted for a year but landed the Mathis family permanently in Tennessee where they all still reside.

At 68 years of age in 1999, and in seemingly perfect health, Mathis suffered a massive stroke that left him severely incapacitated. For almost 11 years he’s been cared for by his wife of 41 years. Country Johnny Mathis made the most of life in the 68 years he was active, he’s accomplished things that most only dream of. He leaves a legacy in so many areas, from music to family.