Johnny Mathis Net Worth

Noel Marvin 16 Jun 2025

What Is Johnny Mathis' Net Worth?

Johnny Mathis is an American singer who has a net worth of $200 million. Johnny Mathis has released more than 70 studio albums, and he has sold more than 350 million records, making him the 20th century's third-best-selling artist. Twelve of Johnny's studio albums have reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, and many of them have been certified Gold or Platinum. Known for his distinctively smooth, romantic singing style, his career has spanned over 65 years, making him one of the longest-serving recording artists in history.

Mathis began his career in the mid-1950s, signing with Columbia Records. His breakthrough came with hits like "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "Chances Are" in 1957. His version of "Misty" in 1959 became one of his signature songs. The album "Johnny's Greatest Hits" (1958) spent an unprecedented 490 consecutive weeks on the Billboard charts. His rich, velvety voice became particularly associated with romantic ballads and Christmas music. His Christmas albums have become holiday standards, with "Merry Christmas" (1958) being one of the most popular holiday albums ever recorded.

He has received multiple Grammy nominations, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

In 2025, at the age of 89, Mathis officially announced his retirement from touring due to age-related memory issues. His farewell tour concluded with an emotional final performance at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey, on May 18, 2025—marking the end of one of the longest and most celebrated careers in music history.

Early Life

Johnny Mathis was born John Royce Mathis on September 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas. He was the fourth of seven children of Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd. They moved to San Francisco and settled in the Richmond District, where Mathis grew up. His father had worked in vaudeville, and when he noticed his son's talent for music, he bought an old upright piano and encouraged him to learn. Johnny began learning songs and routines from his father, his first song learned being "My Blue Heaven." He then began dancing and singing for visitors at his home and at school, and at church functions.

When he was 13, Johnny began working with a voice coach named Connie Cox. He studied with her for six years, learning vocal scales, exercises, and voice production. He also learned classical and operatic singing. Mathis was a star athlete at George Washington High School and enrolled in 1952 at San Francisco State College on an athletic scholarship. He intended to become either an English teacher or a Physical Education teacher.

(Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images)

Career

Mathis got his start in the music industry at age 19 when he was spotted at an impromptu jam session by Helen Noga. Noga owned multiple nightclubs, along with her husband, and began managing Mathis after having worked with some of the era's most talented jazz musicians. Together, the two began booking him multiple gigs, leading to a growing following and an eventual record deal signed with Columbia Records.

Johnny's first LP was released in 1956, and shortly after, he released his first album, "Johnny Mathis: A New Sound in Popular Song." It was slow-selling, but he stayed in New York City to sing in nightclubs. He recorded his two most popular songs during this time, "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "It's Not for Me to Say."

Johnny's appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in June 1957 helped increase his popularity. Later that year, he released "Chances Are," which became his second single to sell a million copies. In November 1957, Mathis released "Wild is the Wind," which was featured in the film of the same name. The song was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song, and Mathis performed the song at the awards ceremony in March 1958.

His next album, "Johnny's Greatest Hits," spent an unbelievable 490 consecutive weeks and nine and a half years on the Billboard 200 chart, including three weeks in the #1 spot. It held the record for the largest number of weeks on the Billboard 200 chart for 15 years until Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" reached 491 weeks in October 1983. In 1958, Johnny made his second film appearance, singing the song "A Certain Smile" in the film of the same title. The song was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song.

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Mathis left San Francisco in the summer of 1958 with the Nogas, and they moved to Beverly Hills, where the Nogas bought a house and Mathis lived with the family. On New Year's Day in 1959, Mathis appeared on ABC's "The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom." He had two of his biggest hits in 1962 and 1963 with "Gina" and "What Will Mary Say."

By 1964, Johnny had parted ways with the Nogas and established Jon Mat Records, incorporated in California on May 11, 1964, to produce his recordings. Mathis continued making music, but the rising popularity of the Beatles and early '70s rock kept his recordings out of the pop singles charts until he experienced a resurgence in popularity in the late '70s, beginning with the Christmas single "When a Child is Born," which reached #1 in the UK. In 1978, he recorded a duet with Deniece Williams called "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late." It hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was certified Gold and Silver in the U.S. and the UK, respectively. It was Johnny's first #1 hit since 1957. The duo released a follow-up duet, "You're All I Need to Get By," which peaked at #47 on the Billboard Hot 100. The success of the duets inspired Mathis to record others with a variety of partners, including Dionne Warwick, Natalie Cole, Gladys Knight, and several others.

From 2000 onward, Mathis limited his performances to around 50 concerts per year and became one of the last artists to tour with a full orchestra. Over his career, he released 200 singles, with more than 70 charting globally, and had five albums on the Billboard charts simultaneously—a feat matched only by Frank Sinatra and Barry Manilow. He taped 12 television specials and made over 300 guest appearances. His tenure at Columbia Records is among the longest in history, rivaled only by Barbra Streisand, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan.

In March 2025, Mathis officially announced that he would retire from live performance after four remaining concerts, citing age and memory issues. His final show took place on May 18, 2025, at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, New Jersey. The concert was a star-studded affair, featuring appearances and tributes from Darlene Love, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Valerie Simpson, Gerald Alston, and Regina Belle, among others. A full 30-piece orchestra accompanied him as he performed classics like "Misty," "Chances Are," and "It's Not for Me to Say."

A tribute video played before the concert featured messages from Barbra Streisand, Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan, Whoopi Goldberg, Lionel Richie, Nile Rodgers, Billy Porter, and dozens more. BergenPAC honored him with a plaque on their Walk of Fame and announced a performing arts scholarship in his name.

Personal Life

Mathis is also known for his love of sports, as well as his natural athletic talent. In fact, he could have potentially been an Olympic athlete, but missed the tryouts for the high jump. He remains an avid golfer to this day and has achieved nine holes in one. He has hosted several Johnny Mathis Golf Tournaments in the UK and the U.S. Since 1985, he has hosted a charity golf tournament in Belfast.

Mathis also enjoys cooking, and in 1982, he published a cookbook, "Cooking for You Alone."

He did not publicly disclose his sexual orientation for many years, but in 2017 confirmed to "US Magazine" that he is gay. Mathis has undergone rehab for both alcohol and prescription drug addictions. He supports many charitable causes, such as the American Cancer Society, the March of Dimes, the YWCA and the YMCA, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the NAACP.

Real Estate

In 1964, Johnny Mathis purchased a historic mansion in the Hollywood Hills that was originally built by billionaire aviator and industrialist Howard Hughes in 1946. The hilltop estate, perched above Los Angeles with sweeping city views, became Mathis's longtime primary residence and personal sanctuary.

The property, designed in a classic mid-century style, features multiple bedrooms, a recording space, lush gardens, and a pool. Over the decades, Mathis has carefully preserved the estate's character while modernizing certain elements to suit his lifestyle and evolving tastes. He has lived in the home for more than six decades—longer than any other residence in his life—and has occasionally opened it up for charity events and magazine features.