Music fans arrive at Englewood, NJ’s bergenPAC this Sunday, May 18, 2025 evening for the last live performance by the legendary singer, Johnny Mathis.
One of the most enduring vocalists in music history, Johnny Mathis has enjoyed a 70-year recording career. The longest-signed artist on Columbia Records, he produced 50 hits on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts, 80 original albums, and seven Christmas recordings. Throughout his extensive career, Mathis has achieved five Grammy nominations, had three songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and was given a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
Outside the bergenPAC theater, notable celebrities including Darlene Love, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Valerie Simpson, Liz Callaway, Ray Chew, and Regina Belle arrive for tonight’s performance on the venue’s red carpet.
Fans also gather on the sidewalk to observe Mathis’ inclusion on the bergenPAC Walk of Fame. During the dedication ceremony, Johnny’s long-time friend, Marty Berman, accepts a plaque on his behalf acknowledging, “Johnny Mathis has sold 375 million records worldwide which makes him the third most successful entertainer of the 20th Century,” noting, “one is Elvis Presley and the other is Frank Sinatra,” before adding, “Tonight is really special! No joke — he’s a gentleman, a friend, a golf partner, the sweetest guy — and his is the most beautiful sound in the world, so get ready to be a little ‘Misty’ tonight!”
Inside the bergenPAC auditorium, music lovers enjoy a star-studded video tribute featuring celebrities including Barry Manilow, Whoopi Goldberg, Chaka Kahn, Patti LaBelle, Barbra Streisand, and many more. The lights dim and Johnny’s band members — musical director/keyboardist John Scott Lavender, guitarist Kerry Marx, bassist Ken Wild, and percussionist Joe Lizama — take their places on stage along with members of a large orchestra filled with string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players.
The sold-out crowd stands and cheers when Mathis, 89, takes the stage.
After several minutes of enthusiastic applause, Mathis announces, “OK, maybe I’m old fashioned, feeling as I do. Maybe I’m just living in the past...” before seamlessly segueing into singing, “…but when I meet the right one I know that I’ll be true.”
Concertgoers heave a collective sigh when they recognize the timeless tenor’s opening number, “When I Fall in Love.” With his expert phrasing, pitch, and control, the master singer captures the hearts of fans in the crowd when he croons, “When I give my heart/It will be completely,” and music lovers respond with enthusiastic cheers and applause.
Mathis exclaims, “Let’s have some fun!” and sings with feeling and power on an upbeat performance of The Bee Gees’ “Morning of My Life,” accompanied by the orchestra led by John Scott Lavender on piano.
After holding out the last note, the crowd hoots and hollers and Mathis responds, “Bless your hearts, and thanks for coming to hear this wonderful orchestra!”
Next, he launches into a medley of his hits including 1957’s “It’s Not for Me to Say,” where the strings swell as they surround his angelic voice; “Chances Are,” his 1957 smash which has him singing directly to the audience and connecting with them on a deep level; and 1962’s “Gina,” where a marimba underscores the lush orchestration and music lovers sing along with Mathis before erupting in applause.
“Thank you! Love you, love you, love you!” responds Mathis as he slips into a cover version of Little Anthony and the Imperial’s “I’m On the Outside (Looking In).” A fan shouts, “You sound great!” as Mathis and Co. segue into a rendition of his 1957 hit, “Wild is the Wind,” where Mathis deftly interprets the number’s slow and haunting melody.
Following a unique arrangement of “Shenandoah” which opens with a lovely oboe introduction, Mathis’ crystal clear voice shines on The Everly Brothers’ “Let it Be Me,” a number which features background vocals provided by Lavender. Changing things up, Mathis shakes his hips as he and the rhythm section sail into “Let Go,” a bossa nova where sweeping strings contrast with syncopated drums while Johnny sings with energy and style.
After confessing, “I have a little bit of a frog in my throat,” Mathis takes a sip of water and announces, “These songs are by Henry Mancini — the finest composer of motion picture music — and I hope I sing ’em right!” Opening his Mancini medley with “It Had Better Be Tonight,” Mathis chants in Italian and English prior to shifting into the slower “Two for the Road” where Lavender’s cascading piano accompanies Mathis’ flawless vocal.
On “Charade,” Mathis holds his mic far away from his body and sings with power on this tune with a Spanish flair, and concertgoers cheer for the beautiful Mancini love ballad, “The Days of Wine and Roses,” where Johnny and the orchestra create a poignant aural masterpiece of note and nuance.
Mathis concludes his Mancini tribute with the upbeat and percussive “Moment to Moment,” prior to crooning Mancini’s classic “Moon River” with a soaring rendition that inspires concertgoers to rise to their feet and cheer.
“Oh, bless your heart!” responds Mathis as he leaves the stage to comedian/musician Gary Mule Deer who entertains the crowd by telling jokes, doing impressions of artists like Johnny Cash, and concluding with a humorous performance of Willie Nelson’s “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys.”
Following a short intermission, Mathis and the orchestra open Act II with “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. After Mathis sings, “Come with me and you’ll be/In a world of pure imagination,” he continues with a medley of songs from Kismet including the romantic “Sands of Time” where a solo violin accompanies his voice; the jaunty Latin number, “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads”; and the mystical and symphonic “Stranger in Paradise.”
Sweeping piano arpeggios, harp, and winds adorn “Secret Love,” and Lavender’s keyboard underscores the orchestral arrangement of Mathis’ 1958 hit, “A Certain Smile,” where Johnny serenades the audience with his patented vibrato.
Music lovers adore Mathis’ performance of his 1957 smash, “Wonderful! Wonderful!” and, at the conclusion, respond with a standing ovation. Mathis follows up with an upbeat arrangement of The Stylistics’ “Betcha By Golly, Wow” which features the orchestra building with crescendoing strings, glissando harp, and background vocals by Lavender.
The sweet sound of the strings permeates the air on Mathis’ signature song, “Misty,” and the crowd bursts into applause when he hits a high note and floats it into the song’s “On my own” lyric before the arrangement concludes with an angelic harp coda and audience shouts of “Bravo! Bravo!” fill the auditorium.
“I love you, I love you, I love you!” responds Mathis as he invites guitarist Kerry Marx to the front of the stage for a series of songs including a poignant version of The Beatles’ “Yesterday”; a lighthearted arrangement of Helen Reddy’s “You and Me Against the World”; a soulful rendering of the Latin-jazz number, “My Foolish Heart”; and an emotional and artistic interpretation of Albert Hammond’s “99 Miles from L.A.” which has Marx’s precision guitar fingerpicking contrasting with Mathis’ smooth and pleading vocal style.
Following his 1957 ballad, “The Twelfth of Never,” where his sweet and gentle vocal has the audience transfixed, Mathis introduces his bandmates to the audience. After sailing into an upbeat version of Sérgio Mendes and Brasil ’66’s “Mas Que Nada,” Mathis sings in Portuguese on Luiz Bonfá’s “Manhã de Carnaval” and segues into a smoking performance of “Brazil (Aquarela do Brasil)” which has music lovers dancing under colored lights before rewarding Mathis with a raucous standing ovation.
For his final number, Mathis gives a touching farewell interpretation of “How Do You Keep the Music Playing,” where, in his magical voice, he sings, “If we can be the best of lovers/Yet be the best of friends/If we can try with every day to make it better as it goes/With any luck then I suppose/The music never ends.”
As the crowd stands and wildly cheers, Mathis quietly walks off stage but returns to thank his band, the orchestra, and the audience exclaiming, “We love you, love you, love you!” He exits a second time but concertgoers continue to enthusiastically clap and cheer until he returns. While the thundering crowd hoots, hollers, and applauds, Mathis waves and blows a kiss to his fans before leaving the stage for the last time.
Inside the auditorium, several members of tonight’s sold-out crowd comment on Johnny Mathis’ performance tonight. Declares Debbie from Bayside, NY, “He was tremendous! Powerful! Wonderful! It was a historic night — one I’ll never forget my entire life.” Fran from Manhattan reveals, “My wedding song was ‘The Twelfth of Never’ so I was crying, but Johnny Mathis was so amazing, I couldn’t believe it; I wanted to go up and kiss him.”
George from Oakland insists, “He was great! Even back in the days when I was a hippie, I always liked Johnny, although I kept it quiet from my rock ‘n roll friends. I was introduced to him when I was a little kid and always loved his voice, so it was great to get to hear it one more time, and he sounded amazing!” George’s wife, Donna, agrees, adding, “He was fantastic, but I’m sad I’ll never get the chance to see him perform live again.”
Recalls Franklin from Asbury Park, “My mom has been listening to Johnny Mathis forever, so to bring her here for her 80th birthday was amazing. At nearly 90, his voice was impeccable — you can’t ever go wrong with Johnny — so it was a blessed day to be here with my mom for this historic concert.” Acknowledges Franklin’s mom, Ruby from Highland Park, “Johnny has been a favorite of mine for many, many years. I’ve seen him many times, but I was especially happy to be here for this final show. He made me feel so very, very good tonight!”
Remarks singer Darlene Love, “I think about what Johnny has done at his age and how much he’s enjoyed what he’s doing — singing — using the gift that God has given him. He still hits all the notes the way he wants to sing them and now I say to him, ‘Happy, healthy retirement. We’ll always cherish you — sing when you want!’” Remarks Darlene’s husband, Al Allison, “I was starstruck — just dumbfounded — Johnny was so great! I had to pinch myself being here, it was like a dream.”
Harriet from Tarrytown, NY, confesses, “I’ve been a fan of Johnny’s for 60 years, and have done some crazy things! One time when I saw Johnny in concert I was seated on an aisle and when he walked by me, I got so excited I couldn’t help but reach out and touch him! And after a young lady in my row saw that and said, ‘You’re so lucky!’ I shared my seat with her and when Johnny came by again, she touched him, too! But my love for Johnny is unequalled — I have all of his albums and all of his tapes and all of his CDs and I know they’re all the same things — but he is the be-all and end-all for me, and he was as fabulous as ever tonight.”
Lastly, whereas Robin from Annapolis, MD asserts, “This was my favorite concert ever! I’ve been a fan of Johnny Mathis my whole life and I love him so much; he’s a blessing to the world,” Bruce from Parsippany insists, “Johnny Mathis sounded amazing tonight and although he’s retiring, his music is so ‘Wonderful! Wonderful!’ it will never end. Until the ‘Twelfth of Never’ we will still love Johnny!”
To learn more about Johnny Mathis please go to johnnymathis.com. According to his staff, “While Johnny Mathis is regrettably now retired from live concerts and appearances, Mathis does have newly recorded music half way finished for a future release date. Make sure to keep following Johnny Mathis’ official website and social media for those exciting updates, because that’s how we keep the music playing."
For information about upcoming performances at BergenPAC — including Don McLean on May 30; The Happy Together 2025 Tour starring The Turtles, Jay and the Americans, Little Anthony, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Vogues, and The Cowsills on June 11; and Tommy James on June 22 — please click on bergenpac.org.
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