Johnny Mathis was only 19 years old when a Columbia Records executive heard him singing in a San Francisco nightclub and decided to sign the teenage singer on the spot. After his first album, recorded in a jazz style, failed to register with the public, producer Mitch Miller guided Mathis to a more straightforward romantic sound, leading to hits like "Wonderful! Wonderful!" and "It's Not for Me to Say." A series of appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show made Mathis a national star, and at age 22 he had the number one record in the country, "Chances Are." In 1958, only two years into...