American pop singer Johnny Mathis, whose illustrious music career began in 1956, has announced his retirement from live performances. The announcement, made via Facebook, mentions that Mathis is nearing his 90th birthday and has been experiencing age-related memory issues. As a result, he will be retiring from touring and live concerts. Despite this, Mathis and his team express their gratitude to fans worldwide for their love and support over the years, describing his career as “Wonderful, Wonderful.”

Mathis, who is currently 89 years old, had several concerts lined up for 2025 but will only perform four more scheduled dates, with his final performance set in Englewood, New Jersey, on May 18. Mathis is celebrated as one of America’s outstanding romantic balladeers, renowned for hits such as “Misty,” “Chances Are,” and his 1976 UK Christmas No. 1 hit “When a Child Is Born.” He has also made significant contributions to the holiday music genre with titles like “Sleigh Ride” and “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”

Mathis once held the record for the most weeks spent on the US chart with his compilation album “Johnny’s Greatest Hits,” which remained on the chart for an impressive 490 weeks from 1958 to 1968. During his career, six of his albums reached platinum status, and he achieved ten consecutive Top 10 album placements in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Despite a decline in popularity during the mid-1960s due to shifting musical tastes, Mathis maintained a strong work ethic, releasing 53 studio albums between 1960 and 1990. The late 1970s marked another successful period for Mathis, culminating in a Christmas No. 1 single, a number one hit with Deniece Williams titled “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late,” and an embrace of the disco sound, including a previously unreleased album with Nile Rodgers called “I Love My Lady,” which was issued in 2017. His most recent studio album is “Christmas Time Is Here,” released in 2023.

In 2018, Mathis commented on the importance of good health as a determining factor in the longevity of his career. He emphasized the need to take care of oneself and the vocal cords, which he considers as “flesh and blood,” to ensure that one continues to perform at their best.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/27/johnny-mathis-89-retires-from-performing-age-memory-issues