By Melanie Hulick - Johnny Mathisjohnnymathis.com/Mathis-Convr30909.pdf · By Melanie Hulick How...
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Johnny A Conversation With Mathis By Melanie Hulick Melanie Hulick of Springville has interviewed more than 70 stars since her first, with Enrique Iglesias, in February 2004. The stars often seek Hulick out when they come to the Buffalo area for performances. Her interviews are now exclusively featured in The Orchard Park Press. Mathis Re-released By Melanie Hulick How lucky are we to live in an age when early re- cordings of one of the greatest talents in the history of music can be converted to CD form to be re-released so that all can enjoy? Until now there were only a select group of people who were able to claim they had earlier recordings—albums—of the great Johnny Mathis. These people know they have something special, and now anyone can “lay claim” to 10 of Mathis’ 1960s works with the re-released albums in five two-CD sets. Mathis and I caught up with each other recently by phone from his home in Hollywood, to talk about this exciting news, his next project, his take on his legacy and his upcoming appearance with the Buffao Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhan’s Music Hall on Sept. 26. At the time of our conversation California was experiencing the terrible wild fires. “We have them every year and then after the fires come the mud slides, because there’s no foliage on the hills to hold the earth,” Mathis said. “It’s just something we go through all the time and it makes us feel like we’re alive I guess.” We touched on the tragedy of the death of Michael Jackson, whom Mathis didn’t know, but did meet once on an airplane on their way to the Caribbean where each were performing when Michael was about eight. “He came up and knelt down next to my seat and told me, ‘Mr. Mathis, I want to tell you I’m a big fan and my favorite song you sing is called ‘Foolish’,’” remembered Mathis. “I was a huge, huge fan of Michael’s. He was an actual genius in his movements, his music… an ex- traordinary person as far as I’m concerned.” As Johnny and I were talking, I found myself thinking how our conversations have evolved over the past couple of years. They went from me being terrified of interviewing a musical icon and legend to conversations so comfort- able and laid back that it made me realize that even with the tragedies of wild fires and the death of the King of Pop, the world is, to paraphrase a Mathis song, “Wonderful, Wonderful.” For ticket information, please visit www.bpo.org or call 883-3560 For a list of and how to order the five re- released Mathis albums, visit www.johnnymathis.com HULICK: Good morning, Johnny! MATHIS: Good morning, Melanie! How are you? HULICK: Great. It’s a beautiful sunny day here with bright blue skies. MATHIS: It’s coming into fall there isn’t it? HULICK: Yes, there is that certain chill in the night air. MATHIS: That’s wonderful! I’m coming to Buffalo soon. HULICK: Yes, Sept. 26 you’ll be here with the BPO for another wonderful show. MATHIS: Yes! I’m so looking forward to it, as I always do. HULICK: You have something exciting to talk about—I think it’s very exciting—the release of some of your older albums into two CD disc sets. MATHIS: Yes! You know you spend your whole life doing this, recording, and you get one little run at it when it’s first released. It’s kind of nice to have it re-issued as something that is viable. I know that when I get into my music mood and something triggers me…maybe I want to hear Leontyne Price or Pavarotti or some marvelous singer…it’s nice to have re-packages because you always get a little surprise along the way. Maybe songs that some of them haven’t released that are lesser known than others but nonetheless still worthwhile. HULICK: I think it’s important, espe- cially these days when audiences and fans of entertainers, such as you, are getting younger and they are appreciat- ing the really good music of way back when and now they are able to listen to that, so in a way, these re-releases are getting a whole new audience. MATHIS: Yes, it’s nice for the kids growing up to know what went be- fore. They know what’s here now, and there’s no way of knowing what will come afterwards of course, but what goes before, I think, is very viable, very interesting and it’s nice to be included in that. HULICK: Did you get to be part of the process of deciding which albums were going to be chosen, or was that decided by the company itself? MATHIS: They make an effort to include me when they release any kind of music, and usually I have no reserva- tions about what they release. Once in a while I’ll call them and say, “Why do you want to release that song? (laughs). I don’t really like it (laughs).” But that’s not a good enough excuse…they have their reasons for releasing some of this music and usually they tell me why and I say, “Well…OK (laughs). If you really want to (laughs), but put an asterisk by it!” (laughs) HULICK: (laughs) Oh my gosh! (laughs) Seriously now. Of the albums that were chosen for this special release do you have a sentimental favorite? MATHIS: The one that I really held a good feeling about, and it’s always because of my admiration for these marvel- ous musicians who’ve helped me along the way, I would have to say is “I’ll Buy You A Star,” which was done by Nelson Riddle. When I came along and started singing he was at the top of the charts with orchestrations he had done for Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. So I was a big fan of his and to me he’s the top of the class when it comes to or- chestrators and he was very fortunate to have his own style. That’s why I like the inclusion of “I’ll Buy You a Star.” HULICK: Will there be any future releases? You’ve re- corded so many albums and there’s still quite a few from years back that are left. MATHIS: I think the company likes to put things out and see what kind of reaction it gets, and that sort of will have a lot to do as to whether they’ll release others. HULICK: What’s coming up for you in 2010? MATHIS: Well I’m doing a new CD. In fact I’m in the process of compiling the music for it. The music is…I guess you would call it early American music. Nowadays they call it country western. I kind of think of it as American classical music. The lyrics are meaningful and I get a chance to sing good melodies. I think I’ll even go to Nashville to record in a studio, which is really comfortable for the new producer. HULICK: Are you thinking a mid-2010 release? MATHIS: I’ll finish it by the end of Oc- tober and they may want to release it at Christmas time. HULICK: You know, Johnny, this is my fifth time inter- viewing you. I never in my wildest dreams would have ever imagined I would get the chance to interview you once, let alone five times. I don’t believe I have ever asked you this question: What do you want your legacy to be? MATHIS: Well, you know, when you start thinking about yourself and what you mean to people you really have no idea. I have no idea what people think of me. The only thing I know is that whatever I’ve done over the years, most people, 99.9 percent of people, know me only by what my music is. But the people who are acquaintances and the people who I meet and play golf with and what have you probably could give you a little bit better of an idea of how I’ll be remembered (laughs). You’re never quite sure what aspect of your life people remember. For instance, when my name is mentioned musically most people say, “Ah-ha! ‘Chances Are’!” And yes it was and has been a very big part of my career, but when you are doing all this music it’s only one aspect and one little part of your life. I, however, think of lots of other things. So you are never sure. But, it’ll be nice to be remembered at all (laughs)….Nowadays most people have a very short attention span when it comes to remembering, because there’s so much information being fed to you all the time. HULICK: Well I hope through the articles I have done on you that people are seeing a bit more of you as a person, not just you as the entertainer. I hope that I am relaying that to people. MATHIS: Well I enjoy our talks very much and you’ve done a wonderful job. I can’t thank you enough for your kindness over the years and your writing, and the way in which you present our talks. It’s wonderful. Mathis,Convr 9-18 cmyk (work;OPpress-9-18-09; entertainment fldr) S.O.
Transcript of By Melanie Hulick - Johnny Mathisjohnnymathis.com/Mathis-Convr30909.pdf · By Melanie Hulick How...
JohnnyA Conversation With
MathisBy Melanie Hulick
Melanie Hulick of Springville has interviewed more than 70 stars since her first, with Enrique Iglesias, in February 2004. The stars often seek Hulick out when they come to the Buffalo area for performances. Her interviews are now exclusively featured in The Orchard Park Press.
Mathis Re-releasedBy Melanie Hulick
How lucky are we to live in an age when early re-cordings of one of the greatest talents in the history of music can be converted to CD form to be re-released so that all can enjoy? Until now there were only a select group of people who were able to claim they had earlier recordings—albums—of the great Johnny Mathis. These people know they have something special, and now anyone can “lay claim” to 10 of Mathis’ 1960s works with the re-released albums in five two-CD sets.
Mathis and I caught up with each other recently by phone from his home in Hollywood, to talk about this exciting news, his next project, his take on his legacy and his upcoming appearance with the Buffao Philharmonic Orchestra at Kleinhan’s Music Hall on Sept. 26.
At the time of our conversation California was experiencing the terrible wild fires. “We have them every year and then after the fires come the mud slides, because there’s no foliage on the hills to hold the earth,” Mathis said. “It’s just something we go through all the time and it makes us feel like we’re alive I guess.”
We touched on the tragedy of the death of Michael
Jackson, whom Mathis didn’t know, but did meet once on an airplane on their way to the Caribbean where each were performing when Michael was about eight. “He came up and knelt down next to my seat and told me, ‘Mr. Mathis, I want to tell you I’m a big fan and my favorite song you sing is called ‘Foolish’,’” remembered Mathis. “I was a huge, huge fan of Michael’s. He was an actual genius in his movements, his music… an ex-traordinary person as far as I’m concerned.”
As Johnny and I were talking, I found myself thinking how our conversations have evolved over the past couple of years. They went from me being terrified of interviewing a musical icon and legend to conversations so comfort-able and laid back that it made me realize that even with the tragedies of wild fires and the death of the King of Pop, the world is, to paraphrase a Mathis song, “Wonderful, Wonderful.”
For ticket information, please visit www.bpo.org or call 883-3560
For a list of and how to order the five re- released Mathis albums, visit www.johnnymathis.com
HULICK: Good morning, Johnny!MATHIS: Good morning, Melanie! How are you?HULICK: Great. It’s a beautiful sunny day here with bright blue skies.MATHIS: It’s coming into fall there isn’t it?HULICK: Yes, there is that certain chill in the night air.MATHIS: That’s wonderful! I’m coming to Buffalo soon.HULICK: Yes, Sept. 26 you’ll be here with the BPO for another wonderful show.MATHIS: Yes! I’m so looking forward to it, as I always do.HULICK: You have something exciting to talk about—I think it’s very exciting—the release of some of your older albums into two CD disc sets.MATHIS: Yes! You know you spend your whole life doing this, recording, and you get one little run at it when it’s first released. It’s kind of nice to have it re-issued as something that is viable. I know that when I get into my music mood and something triggers me…maybe I want to hear Leontyne Price or Pavarotti or some marvelous singer…it’s nice to have re-packages because you always get a little surprise along the way. Maybe songs that some of them haven’t released that are lesser known than others but nonetheless still worthwhile.HULICK: I think it’s important, espe-cially these days when audiences and fans of entertainers, such as you, are getting younger and they are appreciat-ing the really good music of way back when and now they are able to listen to that, so in a way, these re-releases are getting a whole new audience.MATHIS: Yes, it’s nice for the kids growing up to know what went be-fore. They know what’s here now, and there’s no way of knowing what will come afterwards of course, but what goes before, I think, is very viable, very interesting and it’s nice to be included in that.HULICK: Did you get to be part of the process of deciding which albums were going to be chosen, or was that decided by the company itself?
MATHIS: They make an effort to include me when they release any kind of music, and usually I have no reserva-tions about what they release. Once in a while I’ll call them and say, “Why do you want to release that song? (laughs). I don’t really like it (laughs).” But that’s not a good enough excuse…they have their reasons for releasing some of this music and usually they tell me why and I say, “Well…OK (laughs). If you really want to (laughs), but put an asterisk by it!” (laughs)HULICK: (laughs) Oh my gosh! (laughs) Seriously now. Of the albums that were chosen for this special release do you have a sentimental favorite?
MATHIS: The one that I really held a good feeling about, and it’s always because of my admiration for these marvel-ous musicians who’ve helped me along the way, I would have to say is “I’ll Buy You A Star,” which was done by Nelson Riddle. When I came along and started singing he was at the top of the charts with orchestrations he had done for Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra. So I was a big fan of his and to me he’s the top of the class when it comes to or-chestrators and he was very fortunate to have his own style. That’s why I like the inclusion of “I’ll Buy You a Star.”
HULICK: Will there be any future releases? You’ve re-corded so many albums and there’s still quite a few from years back that are left.
MATHIS: I think the company likes to put things out and see what kind of reaction it gets, and that sort of will
have a lot to do as to whether they’ll release others.
HULICK: What’s coming up for you in 2010?MATHIS: Well I’m doing a new CD. In fact I’m in the process of compiling the music for it. The music is…I guess you would call it early American music. Nowadays they call it country western. I kind of think of it as American classical music. The lyrics are meaningful and I get a chance to sing good melodies. I think I’ll even go to Nashville to record in a studio, which is really comfortable for the new producer.HULICK: Are you thinking a mid-2010 release?MATHIS: I’ll finish it by the end of Oc-tober and they may want to release it at Christmas time.
HULICK: You know, Johnny, this is my fifth time inter-viewing you. I never in my wildest dreams would have ever imagined I would get the chance to interview you once, let alone five times. I don’t believe I have ever asked you this question: What do you want your legacy to be?
MATHIS: Well, you know, when you start thinking about yourself and what you mean to people you really have no idea. I have no idea what people think of me. The only thing I know is that whatever I’ve done over the years, most people, 99.9 percent of people, know me only by what my music is. But the people who are acquaintances and the people who I meet and play golf with and what have you probably could give you a little bit better of an idea of how I’ll be remembered (laughs). You’re never quite sure what aspect of your life people remember. For instance, when my name is mentioned musically most people say, “Ah-ha! ‘Chances Are’!” And yes it was and has been a very big part of my career, but when you are doing all this music it’s only one aspect and one little part of your life. I, however, think of lots of other things. So you are never sure. But, it’ll be nice to be remembered at all (laughs)….Nowadays most people have a very short attention span when it comes to remembering, because there’s so much information being fed to you all the time.
HULICK: Well I hope through the articles I have done on you that people are seeing a bit more of you as a person, not just you as the entertainer. I hope that I am relaying that to people.
MATHIS: Well I enjoy our talks very much and you’ve done a wonderful job. I can’t thank you enough for your kindness over the years and your writing, and the way in which you present our talks. It’s wonderful.
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