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. 15 - OCTOBER 17, 2002

THE "XMAS" ALBUM: A week from today a new season begins! Pre-orders are now being accepted for the newest Columbia-based Johnny Mathis Christmas album, called The Christmas Album, at Yahoo Music, the Sony Store, Amazon.com, CDNow, Tower, and other places online. Prices range from a ridiculous $14.98 to $18.98, so shop around. The currently scheduled release date is October 22.

AUCTION NEWS: Johnny Mathis' hand sold for a paltry $340, well below the amount they would have liked have sold for. By contrast, k.d. lang's hand went for $1425. Wayne Newton's went for $2025, and Barry Manilow's went for a whopping $3100! Well, the hands will make a nice conversation piece, and they're for a good cause. They didn't have a reserve price, so...what was paid is what they got!

GOOD FOR BUSINESS: Belfast, Ireland's Hilton Templepatrick hotel apparently did blistering business on account of the celebrity golf tournament a month ago. According to the newspaper Belfast Telegraph, visitors to the golf course have nearly doubled in a relatively short period of time, causing hotel visitors who want to play at the hotel's championship golf course to have to book in advance!

CANCER BENEFIT SHOW: Johnny Mathis, Jewel, Wynonna, and others will perform for a benefit for the City of Hope hospital's Spirit of Life dinner on October 17. Paul Reiser, formerly of the sitcom Mad About You, is the host. Each singer will perform a song from a movie soundtrack. What will Mathis perform? I don't know, but what do you want to bet it will involve Henry Mancini in some way, or perhaps even Ray Conniff? Who's Ray Conniff? I'll talk about him next time.

TOUR BUS: New dates for San Diego and Dallas! Check out See Mathis Live! for details.

©2002 Iris Gross Georg. All rights reserved.

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