I get Misty every time I hear that song sung by one the most durable balladeers in modern American Pop music history. I grew up listening to his songs on the radio and on the 45 rpm vinyl records that cost just 99 cents at the time at the record store or in the supermarket where I bagged groceries and rang up sales on the cash register in 1956. Chances Are, as The Sands of Time Go By until The Twelfth of Never, many Dopers may be Too Young to even know of the young high school and college track and field athlete who set a high jump record of 6’-5 ½” , two inches short of the Olympic record in the 50’s and who was invited to attend the Olympic team trials in 1956. Instead, he accepted an offer in 1956 from Columbia Records to make his first recording. Well, he went more than 99 Miles From L.A. and has traveled to the Wonderful, Wonderful Ends of the Earth, possibly even to Brazil in the 57 years since then, with the sale of millions of records and cd’s. Well, Johnny Mathis is now on his 57th Anniversary Concert Tour and I checked off an item on my bucket list last evening by attending his concert in Raleigh, NC.
It started at 8:05 with A Certain Smile and went thru an hour of a mixture of 50’s nostalgia-Gina, Wild Is the Wind, and oldies and more recent releases. He really Let Go (Canto de Ossanha), did a Johnny Mercer Medley, an Andy Williams favorite, Moon River, Secret Love, Stranger in Paradise, Misty of course, with much applause midway thru when he hits the high note “On my own…” right after the instrumental segment. He sang all of the titles “hidden” in the above verbage as well.
I myself refuse to applaud when the applause covers the vocalization, but that’s just me. I didn’t pay $99 per seat to hear applause. After about an hour there was a break for him to refresh and change his suit, during which he introduced a standup comic, Brad Upton who gave a hilarious routine of original stuff for about 20 minutes, followed by a 15-20 minute intermission. Then Johnny returned with another hour of Wonderful, Wonderful selections. Unfortunately, the volume of the instrumentals of the Bossa Nova “Brazil” drowned out his vocal. He did several duets with his “best pal of 32 years” guitar player, Gil Reigers.
Gil’s wife handles the concession stand in the lobby where you can buy autographed and unautographed cd’s photos, and slick program pamphlets, and short and long-sleeved tees and sweatshirts with the concert motto on the front, “An Evening with JOHNNY MATHIS The Voice of Romance” for $15 to $60. Expurgated cd’s of Brad Upton’s shtick were also available, signed or unsigned at $15. Bought an autographed program for $20 and two of Brad’s signed (cardboard sleeved) cd’s for $15 each. (I have most of Johnny’s cd’s (and many of his original 45’s) so I didn’t buy any more of the cd’s.) THe program has a good bio, many pix of him thru his life stages, with many tv show hosts like Ed Sullivan , Andy Williams, Pat Boone, Jay Leno (with bangs!) and Ron & Nancy Reagan (Johnny attended Ron’s televised funeral=I was unhappy that he did not sing like a dirge or some hymn).
Johnny’s 77 years do not seem to have affected his performance, OR HIS VOICE, although his gait seemed a little slow and perhaps labored (like mine). I was 11 rows from the stage, with an excellent view except for the head of a tall guy in front of me which made me have to lean my head to see around it when Johnny stood in one position (most of the time).
Johnny introduced several of his key musicians at the end and did one “encore” tune. The show lasted from 8 to 10:30. They state a prohibition of flash photography and any audio or video recording, but there were a few flashes from time-to-time, with no patrons being ejected.
I used Ticketmaster for the first time ever seat selection and ticket purchase and was well pleased with that process. The show was in Downtown Raleigh at the Raleigh Municipal Auditorium section of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Art. Drove 120 miles to get there and easily parked across the street for $7 in a huge parking garage. Stayed overnight at a hotel to avoid the drive home thru deer country. I hadn’t been in that auditorium in more than 25 years when I was graduated there from a neighboring university (second time around).
Johnny’s schedule shows him in Ft. Pierce, FL on 3/9, Jacksonville FL 3/22, Galveston 3/24 (per 1 source, not on another), Albany NY 4/4, etc., etc…, etc. (see any website).