Johnny Mathis Owes His Sobriety to Nancy Reagan

Legendary singer Johnny Mathis is forever grateful to Nancy Reagan.

The 81-year-old singer credits the former first lady with helping him overcome a drinking problem.

In an interview with “Sunday Morning” on CBS, Mathis remembers that Reagan saw him overindulging at a wedding reception.

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“We were sitting around, you know. I was drinking, and she suggested I might have a problem,” the “Misty” singer said.

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“I said, ‘Probably not, but what do you have in mind?’ And so she sent me to a place called Havre de Grace in Maryland, and I was there with a bunch of Jesuit priests. I had three weeks of finding out why I drank, how I could stop. And it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life.”

Mathis also battled a drug addiction following his dealings with “Dr. Feelgood,” Max Jacobson, who would administer “vitamin” shots, which actually contained amphetamines.

In the wide-ranging interview Mathis also talked about his history with racism and the aftermath of coming out in 1982.

This article originally appeared in Fox News and is used with permission.

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