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Golden Year Puts Johnny Mathis on Center Stage

Johnny Mathis in 1963.
Evening Standard/Getty Images
Johnny Mathis in 1963.

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.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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