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Johnny Mathis
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===Early years=== While singing at a Sunday afternoon jam session with a friend's jazz sextet at the [[Black Hawk (nightclub)|Black Hawk Club]] in San Francisco, Mathis attracted the attention of the club's co-founder, Helen Noga. She became his music manager and found Mathis a job singing weekends at Ann Dee's 440 Club. In September 1955, Noga learned that [[George Avakian]], head of Popular Music A&R at [[Columbia Records]], was on vacation near San Francisco. After repeated calls, Noga persuaded Avakian to hear Mathis at the 440 Club. After hearing Mathis sing, Avakian sent his record company a telegram reading: "Have found phenomenal 19-year-old boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts."<ref name="lvol"/> At San Francisco State, Mathis became noteworthy as a high jumper, and he was asked to try out for the U.S. Olympic Team that traveled to [[Melbourne]] in November 1956.<ref name="mathis">{{cite web|access-date=May 12, 2011|title=Johnny Mathis Official Website|url=http://www.johnnymathis.com/}}</ref> However, on his father's advice, Mathis opted to embark on a professional singing career. Mathis' first album, ''[[Johnny Mathis (album)|Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song]]'', was a slow-selling jazz album, but he stayed in New York City to sing in nightclubs. His second album was produced by [[Columbia Records]] vice president and record producer [[Mitch Miller]], who helped to define the Mathis sound. Miller preferred that Mathis sing soft, romantic ballads, pairing him with conductor and music arranger [[Ray Conniff]], and later [[Ray Ellis]], [[Glenn Osser]], and [[Robert Mersey]]. In late 1956, Mathis recorded two of his most popular songs: "[[Wonderful! Wonderful!]]" and "[[It's Not for Me to Say]]".<ref name=pc23>{{Pop Chronicles|23}}.</ref> That same year, [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] signed him to sing the latter song in the movie ''[[Lizzie (1957 film)|Lizzie]]'' (1957).
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