Long known as both “The Voice of Romance” and “The Voice of Christmas,” singer Johnny Mathis tied both worlds together during a concert appearance last weekend just outside Chicago on stage at Rosemont Theatre.

Part of a run of Christmas-themed shows, which continues Thursday, December 14 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Saturday, December 16 in Thackerville, OK and Thursday, December 21 in Modesto, California (ahead of more touring in 2024), the new show finds Mathis, 88, celebrating the release of his latest studio album Christmas Time is Here, his seventh seasonal album.

Now available via Legacy Recordings (who guides the archive of both Sony and Columbia Records), the album pits Mathis alongside Kristin Chenoweth on the new single “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” maintaining an incredible run with Columbia which began in 1956 (placing him alongside artists like Bob Dylan and Barbra Streisand as one of the label’s longest tenured).

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Over the course of nearly 70 years as a recording artist, Mathis has tallied 10 gold and six platinum albums, charting 43 singles in the Billboard Hot 100, a tenor who pre-dates rock and roll while standing as one of America’s last great crooners.

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Today, as FM radio stations around the country continue the annual flip to Christmas music, Mathis is mostly closely associated with his holiday offerings.

“‘Who’s that singing?’ ‘Oh, that’s Johnny Mathis!’” joked the singer during a conversation in 2020 of the youthful response to his annual radio reemergence. “Nat King Cole was always my favorite at Christmastime. His music was all over the place of course. And I got the chance to tell him that in person on several occasions. We became really good pals over the years.”

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Saturday night in Chicago, Mathis performed to a unique audience that spanned several generations, with many young fans flanked by both parents and grandparents.

“It’s my favorite time of the year for so many reasons. And I think the one that overshadows all of it is that I come from a large family,” recalled Mathis during the 2020 exchange. “At Christmastime, that was the time we saw everybody. Because, all during the year, all of my family, they were all over the place working and trying to make a living. But, at Christmastime, we’d all get together. And that’s the time I cherish the most.”

This past weekend in Chicago, Mathis took the stage in a festive Christmas sweater, launching straight into one of his most recognizable holiday hits: “Winter Wonderland.” “In spite of the chilling weather…” Mathis mused with a smile, as temperatures plunged to just 40 degrees in the Windy City come show time.

‘The Voice of Romance’ Johnny Mathis performs on stage at Rosemont Theatre. Saturday, December 9, 2023 in Rosemont, IL (Photo by Barry Brecheisen)