i sit down with johnny mathis to talk about his long career and his christmas classics.n, will be back with when we can see cooler weather coming our way. >>> and stay with nbc 4 all afternoon long. get the technology they love, on the network they deserve. and video chat with up to 9 of your friends with the galaxy nexus by samsung, or get the samsung stratosphere, and for a limited time, get twice the data for the same low price. verizon. >>> this month, johnny mathis was presented with the academy of achievements golden plate award at a ceremony at the headquarters here in washington. i sat down with the singer who has been entertaining audiences for 5 1/2 decades. ♪ chances are, i wear a silly grin -- >> what are the chances a boy born in a small town would become one of the best known voices in history? colin powell presented mathis with the gold medal award. e i have been in love with this man for almost 60 years. ♪ >> it was in 1956 that johnny mathis, at 21 years old, began his incredible succession of billboard hits. >> one of his biggest hits? his "merry christ

is here tonight. [ cheers and applause ] johnny mathis.touring with johnny mathis. the nicest man in show business. and i'm thrilled that he's here, so -- tomorrow night, we've got jonah hill, and nba all-star, chris paul on the show. and coming friday, terry bradshaw. santa himself, terry bradshaw will be here. [ applause ] now folks, the holidays are supposed to be a time of peace on earth and good will towards men. however, some people say to hell with that and like to pull pranks on their friends and family. then they post video on youtube. we have invited three of the most popular ones to join us for "holiday pranks." ♪ >> jay: all righty. like you, i'm meeting these people for the first time. where's rachel and carol. oh, hi, guys. >> jay: you're rachel? and you're carol? >> i'm carol. >> jay: hi, how are you? now, what is this relationship? >> she's my grandma. >> jay: that's your grandma. okay, and where do you guys live? >> new jersey. >> jay: new jersey. okay, very good. and what do you do? >> i'm a neuroscience major at colgate

the incomparable johnny mathis! good job, boss. the best, johnny mathis.himself. tomorrow night, jonah hill and chris paul will be here. jimmy fallon happening right now. jimmy! [ cheers and applause ] ♪ ♪ >> steve: from studio 6b in rockefeller center, the national broadcasting company presents -- tonight's guests are -- and featuring the legendary roots crew. and here he is -- jimmy fallon! [ cheers and applause ] captions paid for by nbc-universal television -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com ♪ [ cheers and applause ] >> jimmy: oh, thank you. i feel the love. i appreciate it. thank you very much. welcome to "late night with jimmy fallon," everybody. thank you for being here. well, christmas is -- [ cheers ] thank you very much. christmas -- christmas is just around the corner and everyone's traveling for the holidays and -- so get this, yesterday, tsa workers at lax sang, "i believe i can fly" for passengers. [ laughter ] it was nice. and i thought this was cool, for jetblue passengers they sang, "i believe i can fly six hours later than i was suppos

this is where you will see the johnny mathis christmas.at he is still deciding he wants to do because he is so great. www.rbpconcerts.com: happy holiday is. hi--here are some things i want to tell you about. december 14th at the castro, we are sowing time of his movie career. one has seen kelly at the that guy, and given. when the budget while it who loved teddy. with nowhere else, these are the movies that i recommend right now. my wit with marilyn, how you love and johnny mathis love it up. how descendants and delayed. go out of your way for the weight in and also sealed, the health county deed and a real severe release of the 13 retailers don't despise. not one that is coming at next week i will tell you about that live. and the underdog it just came out fantastic. >>reporter: the us turned our attention to whether this morning we have been talking about the cold to ever joins around the bay area all morning long here to give us some up day and we have jonathan. her-- >>reporter: the morning is a cold start to the morning with partly cl

there was a johnny mathis christmas record that i used to listen to when i was a kid, every year.e return, natalie cole sings her father's most famous christmas song. ♪ many times, many ways ♪ merry christmas ...when the spirit of christmas continues. "the christmas song" has a very special meaning to all of us, really, because it's not official until you hear dad's version of "the christmas song." ♪ chestnuts roasting on an open fire ♪ ♪ jack frost nipping at your nose ♪ ♪ yuletide carols ♪ being sung by a choir ♪ and folks ♪ dressed up like eskimos ♪ everybody knows ♪ a turkey and some mistletoe ♪ ♪ help to make the season bright ♪ ♪ tiny tots ♪ with their eyes all aglow ♪ will find it hard ♪ to sleep tonight ♪ they know that santa's ♪ on his way ♪ he's loaded lots of toys and goodies ♪ ♪ on his sleigh ♪ and every mother's child ♪ is gonna spy ♪ to see if reindeer ♪ really know how to fly ♪ and so ♪ i'm offering this simple phrase ♪ ♪ to kids from 1 to 92 ♪ although it's been said ♪ many times, many ways ♪ merry christmas ♪ to you ♪ [orchestra] ♪ and so i'm offering ♪ this simpl

. >> it's interesting, because i just interviewed johnny mathis the other day, and during the "americandstand" period, there was a time when black entertainers were not allowed to go on the show. you had that message. tell us about that. >> "hair spray" comes off with fun music and dance numbers, but there's so much more to it. it's based on actual events that took place in baltimore and the segregation and integration and everything that they had to deal with in that point in time, and put into the show with the kids. >> it's entertaining and instruck shaw nulinstru instructi instructional. thank you. just looking at what happened on the stage makes me want to go right away. >> makes a great holiday gift. >>> tickets are available at signaturetheater.org. thank you again. it runs through january 29th. >>> it's 11:28, and coming up in the next half hour, making the road safer this holiday season. the new measure is being taken to stop people from drinking and driving. and a million-dollar payday for newt gingrich, if he drops out of the race for president. [ male announcer ] are you pay

. >> i can hear johnny mathis in my sleep. it's sense around for me these days.dent doing some macho bragging of his own about the death of osama bin laden. let's watch this one. >> tonight i can report to the american people and to the world that the united states has conducted an operation that killed osama bin laden, the leader of al qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children. >> you know, joan, if that were w. doing that he would be flying around in an airplane in the white house with a bomber jacket on. >> he would have come in with his bomber jacket as though he had done it himself. a, he didn't -- he got about a minute of credit, maybe that, and b, the other thing i think when i see that moment is that that was the same week that poor man had to release his long-form birth certificate to shut up those crazy birthers, and at the same time -- >> didn't work, did it. >> at the same time he's plotting -- >> it didn't work, but it was a fine moment, yet we weren't allowed to celebrate it behalf his p

by the way, johnny mathis seems to be bigger than ever this christmas.eople fortunate to grow up like i did loving christmas more than any time of the year, to get some of that feeling back this year. when you bump into me somewhere, anywhere like in an airport or on the street, i only say this once a year, don't forget to say hello. this isn't a one-way deal. i love knowing you're out there.

by the way, johnny mathis seems to be bigger than ever this christmas.ple fortunate to have grown up like i did loving christmas more than any other time of the year. to get all the christmas feeling back this year. one last thought. when you bump into me somewhere, anywhere like at an airport or on the street, i only say this once a year. don't forget to say hello. this isn't a one way deal doing this show. i love knowing you're out. there i love it even better when you let me know it. letting me know you like to get together and caring as i do about our country, how it's doing and more important, how we can make this country of ours even better. and that's "hard ball" for now.