Legendary artist and songwriter Mac Davis has passed away at the age of 78.
CMT reports:
Mac Davis, the 1974 ACM Entertainer of the Year and a 2006 inductee into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, had died following heart surgery, according to a Facebook post late Tuesday (Sept. 30) from his manager. He was 78.
As a recording artist, Davis’ most recognizable hits include the 1972 classic “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me,” “Stop and Smell the Roses,” and “It’s Hard to Be Humble.”
He built his career as a songwriter in the late ’60s when Elvis Presley recorded multiple compositions by Davis, including “In the Ghetto,” “Memories,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “A Little Less Conversation.” Other notable writing credits include Kenny Rogers and the First Edition’s “Something’s Burning,” Bobby Bare’s “Tequila Sheila,” Dolly Parton’s “White Limozeen,” and Bobby Goldsboro’s “Watching Scotty Grow.”
Davis’ incredible songwriting catalog earned him induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000 and the 2015 BMI Icon Award. He also received Grammy nominations as a songwriter for “In the Ghetto” and “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me.” His third and final Grammy nomination came with the 1976 country album, Forever Lovers.
Along with “It’s Hard to Be Humble,” Davis’ additional Top 10 country hits in the 1980s include “Let’s Keep It That Way,” “Texas in My Rear View Mirror,” “Hooked on Music,” “You’re My Bestest Friend,” and “I Never Made Love (Till I Made Love With You).”
Davis recorded 10 albums for Columbia Records in the 1970s, then recorded for Casablanca, MCA, Mercury, and Columbia labels in the 1980s. Though his recording output slowed in the ’90s, he continued touring in the decades that followed, and earned a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and fans of Mac Davis.
“Music is the universal language, and love is the key
to peace, hope, and understanding, and living in harmony . . .
I believe in music. I believe in love.”
And I believe in you, Mac Davis! May you be buried in Lubbock, Texas in your jeans.
You also have to admire the fact that Mac was quite lucky so early on in his career to get a whole lot of his songs recorded by arguably the most significant artist of 20th century American popular music, Elvis, and not have his songwriting royalties get swindled by the Colonel. Among the ones already mentioned, Elvis also covered a few other Davis compositions: “Charro” (the title track of Elvis’ last Western film, in 1969); “Clean Up Your Own Backyard” (for the 1969 film THE TROUBLE WITH GIRLS); and “Nothingville” (for the 1968 NBC special). To put it mildly, this just isn’t the sort of thing that happens everyday, even in the best of times.
So another good one leaves the scene; and like all the good and great ones, Mac Davis will be remembered by music fans (IMHO).
He was a fine songwriter and a talented all-around entertainer
RIP
What a terrible year 2020 has been!
I always had a soft spot for Mac Davis since my parents always liked him, and his Greatest Hits album was a part of their record collection. It was one of many that they would play on the turntable when I was little. We would always get a kick out of “It’s Hard to Be Humble,” too, and my step dad would always crank it up and sing along whenever it came on some classic country show.
My personal favorites from Mac are “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked On Me,” “Texas In My Rearview Mirror,” “You’re My Bestest Friend,” and “I Never Made Love (Till I Made It With You).” It’s a shame that that last song is still so hard to find and not available to download or stream.
Btw, I didn’t realize that Elvis recorded so many of his songs! Pretty neat. The only one I was really familiar with was “In The Ghetto.”
RIP Mac Davis and Helen Reddy
Olivia Newton-John shares a heartbreaking tribute to singer Helen Reddy after her tragic death aged 78 following a battle with dementia
By Mary Mrad For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 11:25 EDT, 1 October 2020 | Updated: 11:35 EDT, 1 October 2020
Olivia Newton-John has shared a heartbreaking tribute to Helen Reddy following the Australian singer’s death on Tuesday at the age of 78.
The actress, 72, posted a never-before-seen photograph of herself and Helen playing tennis during their earlier years to Instagram on Thursday.
‘Helen Reddy encouraged me and paved the way for my success in the USA,’ Olivia wrote.