Mathis first appeared in the West End at the age of fifteen and came to fame in March 1968, using the stage name 'Tiger', as the lead singer of the Paper Dolls.
The Paper Dolls toured widely and topped the bill in many UK cabaret venues, but further record success eluded them and, following some changes of personnel, they split up in early 1975.
[5] In 2021, Mathis appeared alongside other guests, such as Paul Gambaccini and David Grant on Channel 5's year-by-year pop music countdown series Britain's Biggest 70s Hits, and in 2022 was seen on the channel's subsequent Friday night music series 80s Greatest Pop Videos.
[citation needed] Mathis worked as a fundraiser for Francis House, a children's hospice in Manchester, helping to raise £5 million for the cause.
[7] Mathis had worked with Kirsty Howard, a 12-year-old fundraiser, who for the night became the Paper Dolls' unofficial fourth member when she sang with them on stage.