| THAT FIRST MATHIS CONCERT It is indeed a difficult yarn to unwind, because the early years have been so meshed together into one long concert memory. The Medinah Temple, just north of downtown Chicago, on Grand and State streets, was the site where I attended my first Johnny Mathis concert. I had ordered my tickets the very first week that Allied Productions announced the show, and I was very disappointed with my 11th row seat. The Medinah Temple seats surrounded the stage, and I sat in the front-faced section. Great Johnny close-up photos are what I had planned but from where I sat, he appeared on the pictures that I took with my camera (an antique that belonged to my grandmother) as a beautiful shadow. Photography was my hobby, but the dim lights in this theatre negated my expertise with focal lengths and f-stops. Our family had experienced a summer of better times. Fish were biting, and the cotton was high. I managed to earn a little dough and purchased Johnny's albums FAITHFULLY, JOHNNY, WARM, MERRY CHRISTMAS,and more. Joey, Joey, Maria,Secret Love, TheBest of Everything (from the Columbia album HEADLINERS) were the songs I came to hear, but I got much more than that. Johnny was breath-takingly cute, his voice and vocal techniques were perfect. I loved the way he teased us (the audience) by vasillating from the back of the stage to the edge. When he headed toward the front stage, camera toters as myself, popped up like toy soldiers responding to a bugle call. I distinctly remember someone squealing as he circled the stage's edge singing "Joey" ....when the bunk I've been bunking in starts to feeling too soft and cozy.."; After 2 or more hours of Johnny's blissful crooning, I remember heading out to the freezing Chicago weather to catch the bus back home...wishing, hoping that I might see him as he exited the theatre, but I just saw many dark window limousines. Any one of them could have been Johnny's. ( In June of 1992, almost 30 years later I visited the Medinah Temple for the last time---My youngest daughter's graduation ceremony from Jones Commercial High School. 2001, the Medinah Temple was demolished and a luxury apartment complex is being built in it's place.) That winter Johnny must have stayed in Chicago for a long visit. I read many stories of his appearances in and around Chicago. He celebrated his birthday at the Millionaires Club. A picture appeared in JET magazine showing Johnny posing as he bit into a flaming shish-kabob. There were photos of Johnny attending the Finnies Ball, he appeared in either the Thanksgiving or Christmas parade. and I even saw him on TV with Hugh Hefner's late night show at the PLAYBOY'SCLUB. I seethed with envy when Johnny was seen with beautiful models like Beverly Gilliam, and actress Miriam Colon. My best friend, Karla, also joined me in this silly teenage reveling. It was Karla who gave me the pen MARIA DIA; Karla was a poet (so to speak). I asked her to write a poem to Johnny from me, and she signed it "Maria"; after the song, adding "Dia" for the word dear stating that was how Johnny pronounced it in his songs. (English teachers at St. Elizabeth's Catholic High School had made us very diction conscious). Our mothers were best friends, and had attended the same high school. Over the years we've lost contact. I kept the poem in my Johnny Mathis scrapbook, which I entrusted to a friend when I married in 1968 and moved to Fort Polk, La., temporarily. I never saw my scrapbook again, nor any of the show booklets I purchased that had Johnny's autographs (he is signing one in the CALENDAR picture above, bottom right. Well!!! Those were the days, (when the world was young and foolish.) More.....later. |
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| MATHIS MEMORIES |
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| This is Johnny's autograph, signed for me at the stage door of Chicago's McCormick Place January, 1966 as pictured on the first webpage. I found this October 3, 2006 in an old tin filled with memoribilia. ..Has a few stains, and sparkles from some other item. |