Editing Johnny Mathis (section)

==Early life and education==
Mathis was born in [[Gilmer, Texas]], on September 30, 1935,<ref name="mathis"/> the fourth of seven children of Clem Mathis and Mildred Boyd, both domestic cooks.<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/10/johnny-mathis-my-family-values|title=Johnny Mathis: My family values|date=January 10, 2014|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|accessdate=February 17, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Eric |last=Herschthal |url=http://www.thejewishweek.com/arts/music/blacks_and_jews_musical_gray_area |title="For Blacks And Jews, A Musical Gray Area" Eric Herschthal, ''Jewish Week'', October 12, 2010 |publisher=Thejewishweek.com |date=June 25, 2014 |access-date=June 29, 2014 |archive-date=October 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161011171947/http://www.thejewishweek.com/arts/music/blacks_and_jews_musical_gray_area |url-status=dead }}</ref> Mathis is African-American<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/johnny-mathis-the-voice-of-the-50s-was-always-ahead-of-his-time-now-hes-ready-to-talk-about-it/2018/08/01/7a0cdee4-73cb-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html |title=Johnny Mathis, the voice of the '50s, was always ahead of his time. Now he's ready to talk about it. |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=August 2, 2018|last=Heller |first=Karen}}</ref> and has said that he has Native American ancestry on his mother's side.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/07/03/forever-johnny|title=Forever Johnny|first=Jesse|last=Green|magazine=The New Yorker |date=June 25, 2000}}</ref> The family moved to San Francisco when Mathis was five,<ref>Wayne Bledsoe, "Not Perfect, But Wonderful." Knoxville (TN) News-Sentinel, September 28, 2003, p. E1.</ref> settling on 32nd Avenue in the [[Richmond District, San Francisco|Richmond District]], where Mathis grew up.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Katz |first=Mike |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u3ogEAAAQBAJ |title=Rock and Roll Explorer Guide to San Francisco and the Bay Area |last2=Kott |first2=Crispin |date=May 14, 2021 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-4930-4174-9 |page=150 |language=en}}</ref>

Mathis' father worked in [[vaudeville]] as a singer and pianist, and on realizing his son's talent, bought an old [[upright piano]] for $25 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|25|1944}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}}) and encouraged his musical pursuits. Mathis began learning songs and routines from his father; his parents also ran his fan club. Mathis' first song was "[[My Blue Heaven (song)|My Blue Heaven]]",<ref name="stationave">{{cite web|url= http://www.stationave.com/bios.johnnymathis.html|title= The Incomparable Mr. Johnny Mathis|publisher= Station Avenue Productions|date= April 3, 2006|access-date= February 2, 2007|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120306212639/http://www.stationave.com/bios.johnnymathis.html|archive-date= March 6, 2012|url-status= dead}}</ref> and he started singing and dancing for visitors at home, school, and church functions.<ref name="lvol">{{cite web|url= http://www.lvol.com/bios/e60.html|title= Johnny Mathis|publisher= Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide|year= 2006|access-date= February 2, 2007}}</ref>

When Mathis was 13, voice teacher Connie Cox accepted him as her student in exchange for housework.<ref name=Star>{{cite web|first= Richard|last= Ouzounian|title= Johnny Mathis: A born crooner|url= https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2009/08/22/johnny_mathis_a_born_crooner.html|newspaper= Toronto Star|date= August 22, 2009|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017221733/http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/article/684202|archivedate=October 17, 2012|url-status=dead|accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref> Mathis studied with Cox for six years, learning vocal scales and exercises, voice production, and classical and operatic singing. The first band he sang with was formed by his high school friend [[Merl Saunders]]. Mathis eulogized Saunders at his funeral in 2008, thanking him for that first chance to be a singer.<ref>{{cite news | url= https://www.marinij.com/2014/05/08/lib-at-large-at-78-johnny-mathis-still-quietly-elegant-on-and-offstage/ | title= Lib at Large: At 78, Johnny Mathis still quietly elegant on- and offstage | newspaper= Marin Independent Journal | first=Paul | last=Liberatore | date=July 19, 2018 | access-date=March 30, 2025}}</ref>

Mathis was a star athlete at [[George Washington High School (San Francisco)|George Washington High School]] in San Francisco. He was a high jumper, hurdler, and basketball player. In 1954, Mathis enrolled at [[San Francisco State College]] on an athletic scholarship, competing in both basketball and track and intending to become an English and physical education teacher.<ref name=Star/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://sfstategators.com/honors/hall-of-fame/johnny-mathis/54|title=Hall of Fame: Johnny Mathis|publisher=San Francisco State Gators|accessdate=June 13, 2023}}</ref> There, he set a [[high jump]] record of {{Height|out=unit|m=1.97}}, still one of the college's top jump heights and only {{Height|cm=7}} short of the 1952 Olympic record of {{Height|out=unit|m=2.04}}. Mathis and future [[National Basketball Association]] star [[Bill Russell]] were featured in a 1954 sports section article of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' demonstrating their high-jumping skills; at the time, Russell was No. 1 while Mathis was No. 2 in the city of San Francisco.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hartlaub |first=Peter |date=April 15, 2022 |title=Johnny Mathis — yes, the singer — was an S.F. high jump champion. Seventy years later, he's still giving back |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Johnny-Mathis-yes-the-singer-was-an-S-F-17076465.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240401031241/https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Johnny-Mathis-yes-the-singer-was-an-S-F-17076465.php |archive-date=April 1, 2024 |access-date=May 1, 2024 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |language=en}}</ref>