Crooner Johnny Mathis once checked into a rehab clinic in a bid to beat his addiction - to champagne.

The WHEN A CHILD IS BORN singer admits he had a secret drinking problem at the height of his career - and couldn't stop guzzling bubbly.

He reveals, "I was drinking champagne - nothing else. I drank when I was happy, sad, when I was alone and with others.

"One day, I decided to stop, so I went to this rehab place in Delaware for three weeks. Now, I don't drink at all."

In an exclusive interview with Britain's Sunday Express, Mathis also reveals he was also once hooked on drugs after a doctor gave him vitamin shots laced with amphetamines in a bid to help him hit the high notes.

Mathis recalls losing his voice and turning to the medic for help: "(His treatment) brought my voice back beautifully... (but) I ended up with a drug addiction problem and it took me quite a while to get weaned off."