Singer Johnny Mathis to retire, cancels concerts due to 'age and memory issues'
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Legendary pop singer Johnny Mathis will soon unplug the microphone and take his final bow.

At the age of 89, Mathis announced his decision to stop performing live shows. He has been touring around the world for 70 years but now feels it’s time to step back due to his advancing age and declining memory.

“As many of you may already be aware, Johnny Mathis is approaching his 90th birthday this year,” a statement on the singer’s Facebook page said Wednesday.

“So, it’s with sincere regret that due to Mr. Mathis’ age and memory issues which have accelerated, we are announcing his retirement from touring and live concerts.”

The “Misty” singer, known for his elegant vocals, initially planned to be on the road with his “2025 Voice of Romance Tour” until early November, but his team has canceled the final four planned dates.

The five-time Grammy nominee’s last show is scheduled for May 18, 2025 at the Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood, NJ. The venue, which holds a capacity crowd of 1,367, announced the show is already sold out.

Tickets for Mathis’ farewell show are selling for at least $474 on third-party websites.

“Johnny Mathis and his entire staff send their heartfelt gratitude to all Mathis fans worldwide for your continued love and support of his music!” the statement continued. “It’s truly been ‘Wonderful, Wonderful.’”

Mathis’ fan club teased that new music is “potentially” in the works despite his touring schedule ending.

The iconic pop and jazz vocalist was born on Sept. 30, 1935, in Gilmer, Texas – a city over 100 miles east of Dallas – before his family relocated to San Francisco.

Mathis balanced music and sports during his teenage years and faced a life-changing decision when an A&R executive at Columbia invited him to record in New York City on the same month he was invited to participate as a high jumper in the US Olympic team trials.

The ballad king decided to record his 1956 album, “Johnny Mathis: A New Sound In Popular Song,” but he didn’t see massive success until 1957 when his singles “Wonderful, Wonderful” and “It’s Not For Me To Say” landed on the Billboard pop chart, according to his website.

Mathis, the longest-running Columbia Records artist, scored his first Grammy nomination in 1960 for “Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track, Male” for his song “Misty.”

Some of his most recognizable recordings air on the radio every December, like the songs “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,” “We Need a Little Christmas” and “Winter Wonderland.”

The performer has dozens of studio albums and his last album, “Christmas Time Is Here,” came out in 2023.

Mathis never had kids or got married, but after his 90th birthday, his website claimed he’d spend his golden years trying to “relax and enjoy life.”

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