Los Angeles On My Mind

Songs, Johnny Mathis, and some nice news

Jan 27, 2025

Hello Friends.

How are you doing? My thoughts have been with the residents of Los Angeles — there's been so much loss and uncertainty from the devastating wildfires. Songs like this one take on new meaning.

I fell in love with “99 Miles from L.A.” after hearing Johnny Mathis perform it live on a PBS special. Dan and I have been huge fans of Johnny Mathis for years, so you can imagine how excited we were when I received a call in 2015 asking if I'd like to sing a duet of “Chances Are” with him at a private event in Vancouver. We were starstruck, but Johnny couldn’t have been nicer.

I asked Johnny if he was a Yankees fan. He said no, the hat was a gift, and he just liked wearing it. 😀

Here’s a little snippet from our first rehearsal. A moment I will never forget. (If you can’t play it, try here.)

Happily, we've stayed in touch through the years and I see Johnny in concert every chance I get. He’s 89 and still going strong! My favorite song to hear him sing in his concerts? “99 Miles from L.A.”.

He inspired me to sing it myself, and it’s on my list of songs I’d like to record someday.

The night the wildfires broke out, I texted and emailed everyone in Los Angeles I could think of, including Johnny’s assistant, Amy. I was so relieved to know that he and his team were safe. My heart breaks for all the people who have lost their homes and the businesses that have closed.

There have been so many stories of loss and heartbreak in the papers and on social media. I wept tears of joy when I came across this post on my friend David’s Facebook page.

This tragedy has also created an outpouring of kindness and generosity. Isn’t it remarkable to watch strangers rally around one another? The Los Angeles Times has a round-up of ways to donate your time, money, or resources for those in need.

Coming Together

It’s been pretty Arctic this month in New York, but I was able to spend a warm and wonderful week in the Caribbean on Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Cruise. Shortly before we left, Seth asked me if I would take part in the star-studded Concert for America on Inauguration Day to raise money and awareness for several causes, including the Sierra Club and the National Immigration Center.

A few days before the cruise, actor Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) and his wife, Lisa Joyner, contacted Seth and his husband, James Wesley, to see if Concert for America could also raise money for the California Community Foundation, an organization supporting wildfire recovery efforts to aid those most in need.

In a matter of days, what was originally an in-person concert turned into a 5-hour livestream event in both New York and Los Angeles.

So far Concert for America has raised nearly $58K for the California Community Foundation.

If you'd like to contribute, you can Donate here. Jon and Lisa generously are matching every donation up to $100,000!

I had the honor of singing The Story Goes On that night. You can watch it here.

And you can watch the entire 5-hour livestream here. A long-time Stars in the House fan kindly time-coded the performances in the comments!

When You’ve Got Friends Like Mine

Back in September, I shared the exciting news that my dear friend Aaron Lazar, who is living with ALS, had recorded his first solo album—and I had the privilege of singing on it. I’m thrilled to share that Aaron’s album, The Impossible Dream, has been nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album!

The 2025 GRAMMYs are this Sunday, February 2nd, in Los Angeles, and I couldn’t be prouder of Aaron and this incredible achievement. We’ll all be cheering you on, Aaron—congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Where in the World Is Liz?

February is going to be a busy month with a lot of travel, including a concert just outside Boston, in Quincy, MA. A portion of ticket sales will go to a Quincy native whose family lost their home in the LA fires.

Here’s where you’ll find me over the next few months:

Feb 2: Nashville, TN (Private event)

Feb 19: New Bern, NC (Liz Callaway in Concert)

Feb 22: Quincy, MA (An Evening with Liz Callaway)

Feb 25: Indian Wells, CA (Private event)

March 14-17: London (An Evening with Liz Callaway)

CLICK HERE FOR MY FULL SCHEDULE

That’s it for this edition of Between Flights. I hope the new year is bringing you moments of hope and light wherever you are. For those of you in the Los Angeles area, my love and continued prayers are with you.

xoxo Liz

PS If you enjoyed this issue of Between Flights, I’d love it if you would share it with your friends and family.