Johnny Mathis Music Break

This week on Twitter, my dear Nancy Giles, a longtime friend who's a contributor on CBS SUNDAY, tweeted me her joy at hearing Johnny Mathis on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). In LIZZIE, a 1957 drama starring Eleanor Parker, Mathis sings "It's Not For Me To Say," which became one of his many hit records. I once heard a radio host joke, years ago, that many of us baby boomers existed because our parents were listening to love songs sung by Johnny Mathis when they were alone together. Nancy's tweet to me was *liked* by several people who love Mr. Mathis. I happen to be one of those people. Here's the song he introduced in LIZZIE. "It's Not For Me To Say" by Robert Allen and Al Stillman.

Writing a title tune for a film seems to be a bygone art today. In the 1950s and into the 60s, however, it was a Hollywood tradition. On local New York City TV in the mid 1980s, I interviewed novelist Rona Jaffe. Besides seeing her best-seller adapted into a glossy 20th Century Fox film release in Cinemascope and DeLuxe color, she said that one of the greatest thrills was hearing Johnny Mathis sing the title tune over the opening credits. The movie was the 1959 romantic drama, THE BEST OF EVERYTHING. The Alfred Newman and Sammy Cahn tune was an Oscar nominee for Best Song. Here it is.

WILD IS THE WIND is a 1957 drama directed by George Cukor. It starred Anna Magnani and Anthony Quinn. Johnny Mathis sang the Dimitri Tiomkin and Ned Washington composition over the opening credits. It got an Oscar nomination for Best Song. "Wild Is The Wind" was covered later by Nina Simone and David Bowie. Here it is by Johnny Mathis.

Johnny Mathis celebrates a birthday this month. On September 30th. Millions of us will be sending him our love as he enjoys his birthday cake.