R.I.P. : ‘Country’ Johnny Mathis, songwriter and recording artist, dies at age 80

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Peter Cooper



“Country” Johnny Mathis, a recording artist and songwriter whose compositions were recorded by notables
including George Jones, George Hamilton IV, Ray Price and Charley Pride, died Tuesday on the eve of his 81st
birthday of complications from pneumonia.

Not to be confused with the pop crooner Johnny Mathis, the Maude, Texas-born Mr. Mathis was a prolific
songwriter who sometimes sold the rights of his songs in return for cash: He sold his writer’s share of “If You
Don’t Somebody Else Will,” a Top 10 country hit in 1953 for Jimmy & Johnny, the duo of Mr. Mathis and Jimmy
Lee Fautheree, for $15. On Mr. Mathis’ website, he claimed to have used that $15 on a bottle of vodka, some
pinball games and a night’s stay at a YMCA.

Mr. Mathis recorded for labels including Chess, Columbia, Mercury, Decca, United Artists, Little Darlin’ and
Hilltop. He appeared on the Louisiana Hayride, the Grand Ole Opry, TNN’s Nashville Now and numerous other
programs. Country Music Hall of Famer Jones recorded two dozen of Mr. Mathis’ songs, including “Brown To
Blue,” later recorded by Elvis Costello.

Mr. Mathis turned his back on the vodka-and-pinball life in 1964, when he wrote a song called “I’m Gonna
Thank Jesus” and abandoned his country music career to focus on his religion. He sang gospel music in the
1970s, ’80s and ’90s, moving to Nashville in 1980 and staying in Tennessee until his death.

Mr. Mathis suffered a stroke in 1999 that left him incapacitated.

Visitation and funeral arrangements are being conducted by Lawrence Brothers Funeral Home of Chapel Hill,
Tenn. Mr. Mathis is survived by wife Jeannie Mathis, daughter Sherie Craver and sons John, Jr., Bill and James,
as well as by 11 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.


Source : HERE

(Official Country Johnny Mathis Website, 11.8.2010):

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.

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 record deal or just have some instant cash to have fun for one more day. 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 1964, 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. On the heels of a record deal with
United Artist and a Top 20 song, as well as a nomination for "New Male Vocalist In Country Music", 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.


Source : HERE

Merci pour l'info BIRDIE

JOE

Paix à ses cendres !!!