Bergen County has welcomed plenty of marquee performers, but Sunday, May 18, 2025 will stand apart for generations to come. Johnny Mathis chose Englewood’s Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) as the final stop on his storied “Voice of Romance” tour—effectively the last live performance of a career that began when Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House. For local music lovers, the evening instantly joins the county’s cultural hall-of-fame moments alongside visits from Aretha Franklin, Ringo Starr, and Diana Ross.
Beyond the red-carpet aura, Mathis’ farewell underscored bergenPAC’s mission of bringing world-class artistry to a regional audience. The Walk of Fame ceremony that preceded the show, in which Mathis received his own engraved plaque, now links his name permanently to Englewood’s bustling downtown arts corridor.
As Bergen County’s events and entertainment guide for more than 15 years, mybergen.com has chronicled many landmark concerts in this 1,367-seat theater. Yet none have carried the bittersweet weight of a living legend’s final performance.
A Farewell to Remember
Inside the sold-out house, a 30-piece orchestra launched the familiar introduction to “Chances Are,” and Mathis—flanked by surprise guests such as Darlene Love, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Valerie Simpson, Gerald Alston, Liz Callaway, Ray Chew, Norm Lewis, and Regina Belle—treated the audience to nearly 90 minutes of classics. “It’s Not for Me to Say,” “Misty,” and a velvet-soft “Wonderful! Wonderful!” reminded everyone why his nickname, The Voice of Romance, endures.
Earlier, a star-packed video tribute rolled on the big screen—Kelly Ripa, Clive Davis, Nile Rodgers, Barbra Streisand, Lionel Richie, Patti LaBelle, and dozens more—each recounting how Mathis’ phrasing, pitch, and warmth shaped American pop. Executive Director Alexander R. Diaz announced a new annual bergenPAC Performing Arts School scholarship in Mathis’ name, cementing his influence on the next generation of New Jersey talent.
Johnny Mathis: A Career Worth Savoring
From San Francisco to the Summit of Pop
Mathis’ path to fame began in 1955 when Columbia Records’ George Avakian heard the 19-year-old crooner at San Francisco’s 440 Club and famously wired his label, “Have found phenomenal boy who could go all the way. Send blank contracts.”
Chart Innovator
Released in 1958, Johnny’s Greatest Hits spent an unprecedented 490 non-consecutive weeks—almost ten years—on Billboard’s album chart, essentially inventing the modern hits compilation and holding that longevity record until the 1980s.
The Voice of Christmas
Mathis’ first holiday LP, Merry Christmas (1958), has moved more than five million copies, ranking among the best-selling Christmas albums in history and returning to the charts every December.
Enduring Recognition
Five Grammy nominations, three recordings in the Grammy Hall of Fame (“Chances Are,” “Misty,” “It’s Not for Me to Say”) and a 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award confirm his place in the pantheon of American vocalists.
Record-Setting Tenure
Now 89, Mathis is the longest-signed artist in Columbia Records’ history—a 70-year partnership that produced 79 studio albums spanning jazz standards, stage and screen favorites, contemporary pop, and seven beloved Christmas collections.
Making Musical History
For Bergen County residents, Mathis’ finale wasn’t just a night of nostalgia; it was living musical history unfolding on an Englewood stage. The performance crowned bergenPAC’s remarkable evolution from community venue to nationally recognized tour stop. It also showcased what makes our local arts scene special: intimate rooms where legends feel at home and once-in-a-lifetime memories are created just a few miles from your front door.
Mathis’ name now joins bergenPAC’s Walk of Fame, a permanent reminder that Englewood hosted the closing chapter of a nearly seven-decade story in American popular song. His vast Columbia/Legacy catalog will carry the voice forward, but May 18, 2025 stands as the moment bergenPAC and Bergen County became part of that history.
Find more local concerts on the mybergen.com Events Calendar!
