{"id":335,"date":"2008-09-24T13:04:56","date_gmt":"2008-09-24T20:04:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localdev.bransontourist.com\/?p=335"},"modified":"2008-09-29T13:03:10","modified_gmt":"2008-09-29T20:03:10","slug":"on-meeting-johnny-mathis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bransontourist.com\/on-meeting-johnny-mathis\/","title":{"rendered":"On Meeting Johnny Mathis"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>I recently chatted with Branson resident and accomplished songwriter Pat McManus<\/strong> about the day he met legendary vocalist Johnny Mathis<\/strong>. It was 1975 and producer John Florez<\/strong> asked Pat to come down to Studio \u2018A\u2019 in the RCA building in Hollywood to sing on a recording session.<\/p>\n Pat shared \u2018I went into the control room at Studio \u2018A\u2019 and there was John Florez, Musical Director D’Arneill Pershing<\/strong> and the recording engineer, Grover Helsley. They were in the middle of recording and I don\u2019t remember if it was my eyes or ears that first made me realize that it was none other than Johnny Mathis in the studio. I was fresh from Nashville and there right in front of me was the man behind \u2018Chances Are\u2019 and \u2018Wonderful Wonderful.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018After the singing stopped, John told me to go in and introduce myself and sing the back-ups on the song. It turns out that Johnny was doing a cover tune on Neil Sedaka\u2019s<\/strong> hit, Laughter in the Rain<\/strong>, a song that I knew, thank goodness! We were going to double the chorus parts, but Johnny said that it sounded like I could do it by myself just fine. I\u2019d never heard sweeter words in my life. The cut went on the album \u2018When Will I See You Again\u2019 released in 1975.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018I ended up working with John Florez on several more projects after that trial-by-fire day in Studio \u2018A\u2019. I also got to know D\u2019Arneill, who was Johnny\u2019s Musical Arranger and Conductor for many years . It has also been fun to get to know his brother, D\u2019Vaughan Pershing<\/strong>, Andy Williams\u2019 Musical Director in Branson.\u2019<\/p>\n