BEFORE JOHNNY MATHIS BECAME A MUSIC LEGEND, HE COULD CLEAR A HIGH-JUMP BAR AT A HEIGHT MOST PEOPLE COULDN’T TOUCH. At school, Johnny wasn’t simply “the kid who could sing.” He played basketball, ran hurdles and developed into an exceptional high jumper. At San Francisco State, he reportedly cleared 6 feet 5½ inches—an extraordinary mark for the era. Music was already calling him, but athletics offered another very real future. He even competed in an environment that included future basketball legend Bill Russell. It is one of the great “what if?” stories in entertainment history: What if Johnny Mathis had chosen sport instead? America might have gained an elite athlete—but it would have lost the voice that eventually gave “Chances Are” and “Misty” their timeless magic.
Introduction: When people hear the name Johnny Mathis, they think of a velvet voice, romantic ballads and timeless songs like “Chances Are”…