[3] Mathis left the group to go solo in the middle of the 1950s, leaving Fautheree's brother, Lynn, to fill his shoes.
[3] He also encountered significant success as a songwriter, penning songs for Johnny Paycheck, Faron Young, George Jones, Charley Pride and Webb Pierce among others.
[3] For few decades, until the late 1990s, he sang both country gospel music,[3] and focused on his family.
The stroke left him in poor health until his death in Cornersville, Tennessee, on September 27, 2011, one day shy of his 81st birthday.
[5] His daughter, Sherry Craver, died on April 26, 2020, and he is survived by his three sons, John Jr., Bill and James Mathis.