BWW Previews: A 60th Anniversary Christmas Celebration! JOHNNY MATHIS Brings A Christmas Song Or Two To McCallum Theatre

The McCallum Theatre presents Johnny Mathis and "60th Anniversary Tour Christmas Concert" with special guest Gary Mule Deer on Friday, December 16, and Saturday, December 17, with both performances at 8:00pm. A Johnny Mathis Christmas showcases the legendary, award-winning vocalist and performer with his quartet and a 31-piece orchestra. The concert features favorites from Mathis' many beloved and best-selling holiday albums, plus a selection of Mathis' pop music hits. You'll hear such yuletide classics as "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and "White Christmas" delivered with the inimitable Mathis styling. Joining Johnny is the hilarious comedian Gary Mule Deer, a McCallum favorite.

"Christmas is very special for me. There were seven of us growing up and my mom and dad always made it such a wonderful, magical time." - Johnny Mathis

Johnny Mathis, the fourth of seven children, was born in 1935 in Gilmer, Texas, to Clem and Mildred Mathis. As a small boy, the family moved to Post Street in San Francisco. It was there he learned an appreciation of music from his father who taught him his first song, "My Blue Heaven". At age eight, his father purchased an old upright piano for $25. When he brought it home, it wouldn't fit through the front door. So that evening, Johnny stayed up all night to watch his father dismantle the piano, get it into the small living room of their basement apartment and then reassemble it. "Those are the memories I have when I sing these Christmas songs," Johnny says, "And then to get lucky and fortunate enough to have the songs become staples every year for the listening public - it's just everything that I ever dreamed of because it brings back their memory to me every time I hear them."

Clem Mathis, who worked briefly as a musician back in Texas playing the piano and singing on stage, would continue to teach his son songs and routines. Johnny had proven to be the most eager of the children to learn about music. He sang in the church choir, school functions, community events, for visitors in their home, and amateur shows in the San Francisco area. He was also a successful track and field athlete, and was offered a chance to compete in the Olympic Trials. In the same week Columbia Records called, so he choose to go to New York to record his first album in March of 1956.

Best-known for his supremely popular hits like "Chances Are," "It's Not for Me to Say," and "Misty," Johnny has recorded more than 80 albums, 6 Christmas albums, and has sold millions of records worldwide. During his extensive career he has had 3 songs inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, achieved 50 Hits on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart, and ranks as the all-time #6 album artist in the history of Billboard's pop album charts. He has received 5 Grammy Nominations, and, in 2003, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. He continues to be Columbia Records' longest signed recording artist.

In spite of a busy tour schedule and many charity events, Johnny still enjoys a little free time. He was an avid tennis player until the late 1960s when a good friend turned him on to his now life-long love of golf. He plays golf almost every day when he's not traveling and has sung at many golf banquets such as the Ryder Cup.

2016 marks his 60th anniversary as a recording artist, so what's next for Johnny? "I don't think about retiring. I think about how I can keep singing for the rest of my life. I just have to pace myself."

Gary Mule Deer's unique comedy and music set him apart as one-of-a-kind. He has performed on every major concert stage in the country and made over 350 television appearances, including many on both "The Tonight Show" and "The Late Show with David Letterman." He was one of six comedians, along with Jay Leno, to star on the very first HBO Comedy Special, and appeared on a series of Steve Martin specials. Gary was the Comedy Host of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert for four years on NBC, a series regular on "Make Me Laugh," and a frequent judge on "The Gong Show." He is featured on the DVDs "Jeff Foxworthy's Comedy Classics" and "The World's Greatest Stand-up Comedy Collection."

For nearly five decades, Gary has entertained regularly in Las Vegas, Reno, Lake Tahoe, Atlantic City and in showrooms and casino/resorts across the U.S. He has shared the stage with music icons, including Merle Haggard, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Roger Miller, Willie Nelson, Johnny Mathis, Vince Gill, The Zac Brown Band, and many more. Gary appears often on the Grand Ole Opry, and has performed at Carnegie Hall. He has been part of the Johnny Mathis show as Special Guest since 1994, playing everywhere from the Hollywood Bowl to Royal Albert Hall in London. Gary's show was filmed at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA, for a PBS special.

An avid golfer, Gary has performed at major tournaments including The AT&T Pebble Beach, Phoenix Open, Kraft Nabisco Championship, Arnold Palmer's Champions for Children, The Frank Sinatra, Johnny Miller's Champions Challenge, and the Nature Valley First Tee Challenge. He has been the featured entertainment for the National Pro Baseball Scouts awards gala twice, and the Minor League Baseball Association, as well as numerous major corporate events.

In addition to his legendary comedy, he is a talented singer and musician, and has performed the music of Johnny Cash in his show for over forty years. The popularity of Gary's comedy and music cuts across all ages and demographics. His recordings with his Duck and Cover Band include some of Nashville's finest musicians, including Steve Wariner, Dan Tyminski, Willie Weeks, David Hungate, Danny Parks, Eddie Bayers, Larry Paxton, John Hobbs, and Randy Hart.

Gary's comedy and music CDs, recorded live, are among the most played on the Clean Comedy Channels of Sirius/XM Satellite Radio and Pandora.

Will Ferrell was asked by Dan Patrick, for ESPN The Magazine, "It's the seventh game, ninth inning, of the World Series of Comedy. You have to pick a comedian to be out on the mound. Will's answer was "Gary Mule Deer."

Through the generosity of Harold Matzner and Wayne and Miriam Prim, the McCallum Theatre presents Johnny Mathis and "60th Anniversary Tour Christmas Concert" with Special Guest Gary Mule Deer on Friday, December 16, and Saturday, December 17, with both performances at 8:00pm.

Ticket prices for this performance are $137, $97, $77 and $67. Tickets are available at the Theatre's website at www.mccallumtheatre.com or by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-ARTS.

To post a comment, you must register and login.