Johnny Mathis. | Source: Getty Images
Iconic crooner Johnny Matthis is now in his late 80s but never married. The romantic singer kept his love life lowkey, and though rumors linked him to several men and women, he never confirmed the relationships.
Johnny Mathis has been singing romantic songs for nearly seven decades, but his romantic life is a mystery. The man with the velvet voice's love life has always puzzled his admirers. Johnny Mathis had no wife, despite dating beautiful women.
He admitted he was gay at a time when most were still in the closet, but Johnny Mathis had no husband. Now in his late 80s, Johnny Mathis' personal life is still an enigma.
Johnny Mathis at the Eric Marienthal And Friends Jazz Concert Benefiting High Hopes Brain Injury Program in 2018 in Newport Beach, California. | Source: Getty Images
Johnny Mathis was born to African American parents on September 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas. The young Mathis started singing in church and taking music lessons, but he was equally talented at sports.
He attended San Francisco State College on an athletic scholarship for the high jump, and at the same time, he started singing in jazz clubs. Mathis received a proposal from Columbia Records and an invitation for the 1956 Olympic Games trials.
Mathis revealed that his father, whom he admired deeply, accepted him and his sexuality unconditionally.
The music won out over athletics, and Mathis's course was set. By 21, he had three #1 hits, and the 50s saw him established as a balladeer. His good looks won him his share of star-struck fans, and he was seen with some of the era's most beautiful stars. But Mathis never committed to any of them, and it seemed he never would.
Johnny Mathis in 1967. | Source: Getty Images
Johnny Mathis Received Death Threats After Coming Out as Gay in 1982
After three decades of success as a singer, Mathis took a bold step. In 1982, he came out as a gay man in an interview for U.S. Magazine. Years later, Mathis explained:
"I come from San Francisco. It's not unusual to be gay in San Francisco. I've had some girlfriends, some boyfriends, just like most people. But I never got married, for instance. I knew that I was gay."
After the US Magazine interview, Mathis received death threats. Homosexuality was still taboo, and few celebrities were out of the closet, but Mathis revealed that his father, whom he admired deeply, accepted him and his sexuality unconditionally. But Mathis has other challenges to face apart from homophobia and racism.
He had to come to terms with his addiction to alcohol and drugs. He had gone to a doctor who administered "Miracle shots" for tissue regeneration, which secretly contained amphetamines. Years later, Nancy Reagan convinced Mathis to go into rehab, and he never drank again.
The Ronettes, Ronnie Spector, Nedra Talley and Estelle Bennett in 1964. | Source: Getty Images
Johnny Mathis' Dating History Is a Mystery
One of the people Mathis was said to be in a relationship with was Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Estelle Bennett, who, along with Ronnie Spector and Nedra Talley, made up the 60s hit girl group, The Ronettes.
Bennett, who stars like Mick Jagger and George Harrison had romanced, was supposedly in a serious relationship with Mathis, something he never confirmed. Mathis refuses to discuss his private life. Bennett passed away in 2009 and took the secret with her.
Johnny Mathis with an unknown woman in 1983. | Source: Getty Images
Musicians Regina Belle, Deniece Williams, and Patti Austin are other women romantically linked to Mathis. He was also said to have been in a relationship with the man who discovered him in a San Francisco jazz club in the 50s, George Avakian.
Another of his loves is said to have been Mitch Miller, a Columbia Records executive in charge of Artists and Repertoire. The charismatic Miller was also a gifted classical musician and recorded several hit albums for Columbia as "Mitchell Miller and His Orchestra."
Johnny Mathis during his Christmas concert on December 23, 2022 in Irvine, California. | Source: Getty Images
Johnny Mathis Has Never Been Married, but He Has No Regrets
Mathis may have no children, but he has a large family. He is one of seven siblings; four of his brothers and sisters are still alive. His siblings married and gave Mathis 17 nieces and nephews. He said:
"I've never been married, and I have no regrets about not starting my own family. I come from a large one, so there are so many people around all the time. I've been very happy."
Johnny Mathis is still singing, still touring, and still recording. The man with the velvet voice has remained relevant and is happily recording new music to add to his songbook.
ncG1vNJzZmimlazAb63MqKSapZFjsLC5jmxnam1laXqru8enpbJlnZbBqbXSZp%2Baq12jsrex0Wafmpxdlnq4tcWeZKGto5eub7TTpqM%3D