Johnny "Country" Mathis

Johnny "Country" Mathis (September 28, 1930 – September 27, 2011) was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is credited with penning more than 500 tunes over the course of his long career.

John Mathis was born on September 28, 1930, in Maud, Texas. He played on Louisiana Hayride from 1951–60, as a solo artist and as a member of the musical duo Jimmy & Johnny (with Jimmy Lee Fautheree). Mathis left the group to go solo in the middle of the 1950s, leaving Fautheree's brothe, Lynn, to fill his shoes. Jimmy and Lynn, however, saved the name Jimmy & Johnny, which proved ideal for Mathis, who returned to the group from 1959-61. As a solo artist, he released several singles for D Records, Decca, United Artists, and Little Darlin'. His final charting single was "Please Talk to My Heart," released in 1963. He also encountered significant success as a songwriter, penning songs for Johnny Paycheck, George Jones and Webb Pierce, among others. For few decades, until the late 1990s, he sang gospel music and focused on his family.

Mathis suffered a stroke in February 1999, and was no longer able to perform. The stroke left him in poor health until his death in Cornersville, Tennessee on September 27, 2011, on the eve of his 81st birthday. He is survived by Jeannie Mathis, his wife of 43 years, and four children.

• "I’ve Been Known To Cry"
• "Welcome Home"
• "Country Music Keeps on Growing"
• "Make Me One More Memory"
• "Harbor Of Love"
• "Please Talk to My Heart" (1963), U.S. Country #14