After nearly 70 years of entertaining audiences with his iconic voice, American music legend Johnny Mathis is retiring at 89.
The six-time Grammy winner and one of the best-selling artists of the 20th century has announced his final curtain call following canceled concerts due to “age and memory issues.”
The announcement comes as Mathis approaches his 90th birthday in a bittersweet end to one of music’s most enduring careers.
Mathis will perform the final concert of his Voice of Romance Tour on May 18, 2025, at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey.
The farewell show is already sold out, and tickets are now being resold on third-party websites for at least $474.
This demonstrates the singer’s enduring popularity and the public’s desire to witness his final performance.
In a statement posted to Facebook, Mathis’ team explained the difficult decision:
“As many of you may already be aware, Johnny Mathis is approaching his 90th birthday this year. So, it’s with sincere regret that due to Mr. Mathis’ age and memory issues which have accelerated, we are announcing his retirement from touring and live concerts.”
Mathis himself addressed his health issues in 2018, saying, “It revolves around whether or not you’re physically able and in good health. That’s the most important thing because you won’t feel like doing anything if you’re not healthy.”
“And being a vocalist, you have another thing to worry about. The vocals cords are flesh and blood so anything can happen to them…You take care of the thing that got you to the dance,” he added.
Throughout his expansive career, Mathis has shown remarkable longevity by performing for 69 consecutive years since 1956 “without ever missing a beat.”
His representative, Robert Scott, confirmed that while the singer’s memory issues do not significantly affect his daily life, the physical demands of touring have become too challenging.
Mathis’ incredible career includes over 70 albums with timeless hits like “Wonderful, Wonderful!” and “Chances Are.”
The Texas-born singer chose music over athletics despite qualifying for Olympic high-jump trials.
This decision blessed America with decades of musical excellence. As Columbia Records’ longest-signed recording artist, Mathis set records with “Johnny’s Greatest Hits,” which spent years on the U.S. charts.
The singer’s commitment to his craft was unwavering: “If you do what I do, there’s no way you can sleepwalk [through a show]. I would say three-quarters of what I do depends on the sincerity of it. You can croak, but if you croak good, they’ll still listen.”
His latest album, “Christmas Time is Here,” was released in October 2023. While retiring from live performances, Mathis may still deliver new music to his fans.
His team hinted that “there is potentially new music in the works.” They suggested that while the concert stage chapter is closing, Mathis’ musical journey might continue in a different form.
Mathis earned numerous accolades throughout his illustrious career, including the Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 and induction into the Great American Songbook Hall of Fame in 2014.
With over 360 million records sold worldwide, Mathis leaves a mark on American music history.
In their farewell message, Mathis’ team expressed their gratitude to fans worldwide:
“Johnny Mathis and his entire staff send their heartfelt gratitude to all Mathis fans worldwide for your continued love and support of his music! It’s truly been ‘Wonderful, Wonderful.'”
