My tribute to Country Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis, long time partner and friend of Jimmy Lee Fautheree, has gone to the song writer heaven on September 27, 2011. Another bad news coming after Johnny Wright's passing.

In the mid 70’s, many people in England asked to hear vintage R’n’R and Rockabilly on the radio. These lead to a big manifestation in London and soon radio started playing’ again those 50’s wonders. Real soon, "Jungle Rock" from 1958 (Hank Mizell) became a hit in Europe and "You’re Barking Up On The Wrong Tree" from 1957 (Don Woody) do the same in UK. Vintage labels as Sun, Decca, Capitol or Chess were looking on them files and reissued fabulous recordings by Merrill Moore, Johnny Carroll, Jerry Kennedy, Roy Hall, The Burnette Brothers, Wayne Raney or… Jimmy and Johnny. When you’re 19 years old, ready to rock and you heard blowing from the speakers "I Can’t Find the Doorknob" by Jimmy and Johnny, you left the dance floor tore up with your boppin’ shoes wrecked. Now, that sound had poisoned your soul and you will search for records and performers until Lord call you. That’s just what happened to me.

My first paper about Jimmy Lee Fautheree and Country Johnny Mathis was published in 1982 and the last was still on its way when the news came. I have learnt how he Elvis opened for the duo way back in 1954, how Jimmy Lee played his Fender on Webb Pierce’s "Teenage Boogie" or Faron Young’s "Sweet Dreams", how "Sweet Love On My Mind" was written at Jimmy’s house but first recorded by Johnny and Dorsey Burnette, how Johnny Mathis used to sell his songs and how he teamed with Les Chambers on Starday’s wax.

Jimmy & Johnny Mathis on stage KWKH

In 1954, Tillman Franks take in hand the career of Jimmy Lee Fautheree and Country Johnny Mathis. Via Stan Lewis, owner of a records store in Shreveport and a talent-scout, Tillman obtained for them a contract with "Chess" located in Chicago. A first session in July 1954 will give birth to "If You Don't, Somebody Else Will", a song they had already recorded and issued on Feature, which will enter in the Cash Box Country Best sellers after hitting in Memphis and Houston. They were the first country act for "Chess" to bring them song in the Billboard Country chart reaching # 6 beating Webb Pierce or Carl Smith, Ray Price or Tommy Collins. Soon followed for the duet bookings in Louisiana, Tennessee or Texas in such prestigious shows as The Big D Jamboree and The Louisiana Hayride and they reached # 9 in the Country & Western Jamboree magazine "Best New Singing Group" pool in July 1955. Nevertheless, Johnny sold his share for "If You Don’t Somebody Else Will" back in 1954 for $ 125. The song was covered by Ray Price, Wanda Jackson & Billy Gray, The Osborne Brothers, Connie Stevens, Sue Thompson or George Hamilton IV, Doug Kershaw to name a few. Jimmy and Johnny were a hot and visual act until they broke and Wayne Walker started to team with Jimmy for a time. Nevertheless, Jimmy and Johnny Mathis will work again together on stage and records, from time to time, until late 1960 when they recorded "Let Me Be The One" and "Knock On The Wood" for Republic. On these sides they really did some of them best work. In 1960 they were a featured act on "Fort Worth Country Style" show.

On October 16, 1954, Elvis was bring in Shreveport to replace Jimmy & Johnny for one evening on the scene of Louisiana Hayride... He will never leave until march 1956 and that show helped to set the raise to fame for the "Hillbilly Cat". On November 17, 1954 that Jimmy and Johnny who came in Memphis to play at the famous Eagle’s Nest with Elvis opening for them. They were on them way for the Pee Wee King TV show in Cincinatti. During the year 1955, Jimmy and Johnny will turn with other artists in package shows booked by either by Tillman or the KWKH and they shared the advertissment placards George Jones, Tibby Edwards, Charline Arthur, David Houston or Johnny Horton to quote only few names. It is Tillman who booked the concert of Elvis to the Cotton Club of Lubbock (Tx), January 06, 1955, the home town of Buddy Holly. Buddy and Bob will open sometime for Elvis or Bill Haley in 1955 and 1956. The same tour lead the wrong spelled "Alvis" Presley in San Angelo (Tx). Elvis and Tillman where at Wichita Falls (Tx), August 22, 1955, for a concert organized by Bill Mack, the famous radio DJ. Jimmy and Johnny played with Elvis in Odessa, San Angelo, Gladewater, Waco, Austin and other locations. "It’s a shame for all the talent they had, they didn’t get any bigger than they did", Tillman Franks stated." As far as talent goes, nobody could top Jimmy and Johnny when they were at their peak. They were one of the best performing acts I’ve ever seen. They were the only ones who could compete with Elvis, really."

Jimmy and Johnny (in fact Jimmy’s brother Lynn after the original duet had split) will later move on "Decca" and worked in Faron Young’s backing band for one year in 1956 and 1957.

Johnny Mathis, born on September 28, 1930 in Maud (Texas) grew up the middle child of seven 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. At 15, Johnny quit school and started playing honky tonks in East Texas before contracting osteomyelitis. After several operations and a long hospital stay, he was cured. In 1946/1947, he had his first radio sow in Farmersville and McKinney (Tx) being know as The Country Cowboy. Living in Dallas he hooked up with Riley Cabtree, a great country singer crippled by polio, to play steel guitar in its band. That association leads him to have his first recording for Star Talent in September 1949. In 1952, he was recording for Jim Bulleit's "J-B" and was teaming with Jimmy Lee. Jim Bulleit, a former WSM announcer, was then acting as head for the short lived KWKH artist service. If some had positive memories of Bulleit, some saw him like a crook and his association with KWKH don’t lasted long.

After his split from Jimmy Lee in 1955,Johnny recorded for Starday, Mercury, D, United Artists, Hilltop, Little Darlin', World, Lodmea, Stonegate. He also worked for KREB radio in Shreveport and because of the confusion with the velvety-toned pop singer, he preceded his name by Country. The "Country" singing Mathis was recording before the "pop" singing Mathis, and he was proud to be called "Country". He recorded such fine songs as "Lonely Night", "From A Kiss To The Blues", "Run Please Run" or "I Ain't Worried For Tomorrow" that may express his philosophy for life in the 50's.In 1960, the year of Caryl Chessman’s execution, Johnny cut "Caryl Chessman" for "D". With a spare honky-tonk sound equal parts Ernest Tubb and Hank Williams, the tune feature a tight harmony.

In 1963 he had a strong seller with "Please Talk To My Heart" recorded for UA. The song peaked #14 on the Billboard charts. By then Johnny had quite living the lifestyle of the songs he wrote and was at a spiritual turning point ready to change his life. He co-wrote "What’s In Our Hearts" and "I’d Jump The Mississippi" performed by George Jones and Melba Montgomery for the same label. Being a heck of songwriter he was know for selling his writer’s share when he was getting ready to record them. He sold songs to Shelby Singleton, Tillman Franks, Eddie Hallowell, James O’Gwynn and numerous others. Among the songs he sold was "Am I That Easy To Forget". That song goes for $ 15.00 that were spent by buying a fifth of Vodka, playing pinball and staying at the YMCA that night. As a songwriter, he had his work recorded by Johnny Paycheck, Charlie Pride, Johnny Horton, Jimmy Dean, Freddy Fender, Bobby Helms and many others.

After a nomination for "New Male Vocalist In Country Music", he abandoned his career for the most part and returned to his holiness church roots and began to sing and evangelize. He had simply followed his instincts. He later met Jeannie McLain in a little church in Louisiana where he was holding revival services and they married having 3 sons. Most of the time he worked painting house for a living. In the video documentary "Louisiana Hayride – Cradle of the Stars", a 1984’s production by Rick Smith for Louisiana Public Broadcasting, Johnny Mathis can be seen twice remembering Slim Whitman and the good old days. He wrote and recorded the beautiful "Let Me Go Back One More Times (Memories)" that close that documentary first aired by PBS. "Louisiana Hayride – The Cradle of The Stars", narrated by Hank Williams jr, is available on Kultur DVD. That’s a good attempt to really told the story of Country music in Shreveport with the witnesses of the time like F. Page, Fred Carter jr, W. Pierce, H. Logan, F. Pruett, T. Edwards, G. Hill, K. Wells, S. Whitman, F. Young or J. Burton.

In 1995 Jimmy Lee and Johnny sang together again when they recorded the gospel tune "It Won't Be Much Longer". They played together on a local church in 1997 having a ball like on them early days. In 1999, and in a seemingly perfect health, Johnny Mathis suffered a massive stroke that left him seriously incapacited.

It may be strange but I had send "It Won’t Be Much Longer" to several friends a couple of days before Johnny’s passing... Those "Unknow Legends" are now reunited but they will stay remembered as one of the finest duet from the 50's matching' with The Louvin Brothers, The Wilburn Brothers, The Farmers Boys or Johnnie and Jack. If you want to enjoy Jimmy and Johnny’s recorded work you just had to buy "If You Don’t, Somebody Else Will" (Bear Family BCD 15771) and for them complete musical story to read "American Music Magazine" issue 91 (March 2002).

Imperial – Oct 4, 2011

John Mathis Jr write tome :

"Thanks for you kind words and remembrance of my father. We're preparing to honor him on Friday as we lay him to rest. He lived life to its fullest! He had great contributions to a great music genre, Country Music, he was there on stage with many of the icons and legends who formed and shaped Country Music. But most of all he was a great man with a great heart! I was recounting this week, as me and my 2 brothers were growing up and he was teaching us to play music, how many nursing homes, homeless shelters and even prisons that he would take us to just to play music for people who were less fortunate in life. He did this for no pay or accolades, no press or publicity, simply because he had a great heart for those that life seemed to have discarded or passed by. He treated those folks like they were "stars" and made them feel special and for a moment in life...they didn't feel forgotten. He had a great story to share of music and a return to his faith. He was a talented writer and singer and a great father!

He passed away around 7:10 PM on Sept 27th, about 5 hours short of his 81st birthday. He hadn't spoke or sang in about 12 1/2 years due to his stroke... however, I imagine he made up for all that time when he arrived in Heaven on his birthday!

I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you and God bless!"