1935 –
I grew up listening to my parents’ Johnny Mathis records on Sunday afternoons. Little did I (or my parents) know then that both of us were gay!
Mathis was born in Texas but was brought up in California. He was always a gifted singer, but he was a talented athelete too, almost trying out for the Olympics.
Since 1956 he has released over 100 albums and sold more than 185 million singles and albums.
He came out publicly in an interview with Us magazine in 1982. He said: ‘Homosexuality is a way of life that I’ve grown accustomed to’.