PRESENTS

Welcome to the Grapevine News. This section of the Mathis Chronicles contains my views about anything I find or am sent about Johnny Mathis on the 'net and elsewhere, that isn't being discussed by any "official" sites. Occasionally, I report on things not directly related to Mathis but have a connection, may even make up a question to ask myself and try to answer. Readers are welcome to share their news here also. So enjoy and thanks for coming.

VOL. 1 NO. 14 - SEPTEMBER 29, 2002

THE "XMAS" ALBUM: Pre-orders are now being accepted for the newest Columbia-based Christmas album at Amazon.com, CDNow, Tower, and other places online. Prices range from a ridiculous $18.98 for the CD at Amazon.com and CDNow, to a still-high but more reasonable $14.98 at Tower. The currently scheduled release date is October 22.

Speaking of the CD itself, you can see a picture of its front and back cover on JohnnyMathis.com . As you'll see after the pictures *finally* load, the CD is mixing traditional with contemporary. Did I say last time he was putting 12 songs on? I was mistaken. There are only 10 songs on it! That's even more disgusting for a $20 product.  I really don't blame the people for stealing downloads, the companies bring it on themselves. It'd be cheaper to buy the cassette version and burn it.

I've noticed two things looking at the Columbia release schedule. First, the Christmas album (I know what the X is for, thank you) is not yet mentioned as an upcoming release. Second, a week before the release of it, on October 15, is something called TROPIHITS Vol. 1. The "official" site doesn't give any information on it, but in and of itself that doesn't mean anything. Personally, I'm thinking this has to be some HUGE MISTAKE . The only thing with that title I found was a CD of Latin music that came out last year. (The cover has a bikini clad female body with the words Tropihits Vol. 1 tattooed to her torso...not typical Mathis cover, for sure!) Actually, I'd gotten wind of some sort of Johnny Mathis serial project in the works secondhandly from a Sony insider, but I don't believe this is it.

TIME MARCHES ON: Johnny Mathis is spending his 67th birthday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and his party will be onstage! It's getting increasingly difficult to imagine him so close to his 7th decade. We've lost a lot of his contemporaries and others this year, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Lionel Hampton, Ray Brown. Mathis is still here only through the Lord's grace...and he's going to play his golf even if it kills him, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him go the way Bing Crosby did...on the course, back brace and all. I can't blame him. 

As far as a birthday wish, I have one for him and a few for me. For Mathis, I wish that his relationship with his higher power is healthy and strong, for that in turn will go a long way in keeping him healthy and strong.

For myself, I wish for Mathis a year that's pain-free; I wish for him the courage to do the work he wants to do despite the naysayings of those close to him or elsewhere; I wish for him the control of his work he should have had for a long time, and the faith in his ideas to try them whether or not they make money for someone, because he is a millionaire, and he has more than enough for himself; I wish for him enough self-esteem to empower himself with the knowledge that nothing about his personal life can be used against him as a weapon unless he himself allows it to; I wish for him the good sense to listen to his audiences all around the world when they tell him what they want--and here's hoping their requests are even getting to Mathis "warts and all", without the so-called "bad stuff" filtered out--for most of his buyers and listeners are in his corner and will help him succeed.  Suffice it to say that this year I wish that Johnny Mathis knows true freedom. May he have many more.

©2002 Iris Gross Georg. All rights reserved.

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