Johnny Mathis

“My favorite singer to this day is Nat King Cole. I've tried to emulate his phrasing. It is so absolutely beautiful to listen to his lovely voice.”

“Homosexuality is a way of life that I've grown accustomed to.”

“I cannot tell you how lucky I am: the songs that I sing, I like!”

“At this stage, most of the awards I get are concerned with my longevity. Even I'm amazed at myself because there have been new generations since I've been born and new music that they create, so it's amazing to still be on the radar.”

“When I got a chance, I went back and shared those experiences that were important to me. George Washington High, the campus at San Francisco State, and even back to Emerson Elementary school and Roosevelt Junior High. I was happy to do it, to go back and see if all the same teachers were there.”

“I drank too much, only champagne.”

“People are stubborn about what they perceive to be the right thing or the wrong thing, and it takes a long time to filter this human condition. There's a waiting period until people catch up. But if you have patience - which it takes when someone thinks differently from you - everybody always catches up. That patience is a wonderful virtue.”

“Nat was my hero right from the very beginning. My dad brought his music into the house and played it over and over again.”

“It doesn't mean a thing when others tell you you're good. You have to feel it yourself.”