MEL TILLIS

'Mel Tillis' (born 'Lonnie Melvin Tillis' August 8, 1932 in Tampa, Florida) is an American Country Music Singer. Although he had been recording songs since the late 50s, he had his biggest success in the 70s, with a long list of Top 10 hits.
Tillis' biggest hits include, "I Ain't Never", "Good Woman Blues", and "Coca-Cola Cowboy". He also has won the CMA Awards most coveted award, '''Entertainer of the Year'''. His daughter is the popular Country music singer, Pam Tillis. He is also well-known for his speech impediment.

Contents

Early Life & Rise to Fame

Country Music Career In the 60s Before Major Stardom

The Height of His Career In the 70s

Later Career & Life Today

Family

Discography

Charted Singles

External links

Early Life & Rise to Fame

Mel Tillis was born in Tampa, Florida in 1932. His stutter developed during his childhood, a result of a bout of malaria. As a child, Tillis learned the drums, as well as guitar. At age 16, he won a local talent show, and soon joined the United States Air Force, and worked for the railroad. When young Tillis was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, he formed a band called '''The Westerners''', which played at local clubs.
After leaving the military in 1955, Tillis worked a number of odd jobs and moved to Nashville, Tennessee the following year. Tillis wrote "I'm Tired", a #3 Country hit for Webb Pierce in 1957. Other Tillis hits include "Honky Tonk Song" and "Tupelo County Jail". Ray Price and Brenda Lee also charted hits with Tillis' material around this time. In the late-50s, after becoming a hit-making songwriter, he signed his own contract with Columbia Records in the late-50s. In 1958, he had his first Top 40 hit, "The Violet and a Rose", followed by the Top 25 hit, "Sawmill".

Country Music Career In the 60s Before Major Stardom

Although Tillis charted on his own Billboard's Hot Country Songs list, he had more success as a songwriter. He continued to be Webb Pierce's songwriter. He wrote the hits, "I Ain't Never" (Tillis' own future hit) and "Crazy, Wild Desire". Bobby Bare, Wanda Jackson, and Stonewall Jackson also covered his songs. Tillis continued to record on his own. Some well-known songs from his Columbia years include "The Brooklyn Bridge", "Loco Weed", and "Walk on, Boy". However, he didn't achieve major success on the Country charts on his own.
In the mid-60s, Tillis switched over to Kapp Records. In 1965, he had his first Top 15 hit with "Wine". Other hits continued to follow, like "Stateside" and "Life Turned Her That Way" (which was later covered by Ricky Van Shelton in 1988, and went to #1). He wrote for Charley Pride ("The Snakes Crawl At Night") and wrote a big hit for Kenny Rogers & the First Edition called "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town". He also wrote the hit "Mental Revenge" for Outlaw superstar Waylon Jennings. In 1968, Tillis achieved his first Top 10 hit with "Who's Julie". Although success didn't come quickly or easily as a singer in the 60s, things would turn around for Tillis a great deal in the 70s.

The Height of His Career In the 70s

Things turned around in 1969 for Tillis. He finally achieved the success he always wanted with two Top 10 Country hits, "These Lonely Hands of Mine" and "She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere". In 1970, he reached the Top 5 with "Heart Over Mind", which peaked at #3 on the Hot Country Songs list. After this, Tillis career as a Country singer went into full-swing. Hits soon came quite easily, like "Heaven Everyday" (1970), "Commercial Affection" (1970), "Arms of a Fool" (1970), "Take My Hand" (a duet with Sherry Bryce in 1971), and "Brand New Mister Me" (1971). In 1972, Tillis achieved his first chart-topper with his version of his song "I Ain't Never". Even though the song was previously recorded and made a hit by Webb Pierce, Tillis' version is the best-known version out of the two. Most of these songs that were hits above were recorded under MGM Records, Tillis' record company in the early part of the decade.
After the success of "I Ain't Never", Tillis had another hit, which came close to #1 (reached #3) entitled "Neon Rose", followed by "Sawmill", which also came close at #2. "Midnight Me and the Blues" was another near-chart topper in 1974. Other hits Tillis had under MGM include "Stomp Them Grapes" (1974), "Memory Maker" (1974), "Woman in the Back of My Mind" (1975), and his version of "Mental Revenge" (1976). In 1976, Tillis signed on with MCA Records. Tillis achieved his biggest success under MCA Records. It started with a pair of two #1 hits in 1976, "Good Woman Blues" and "Heart Healer". Thanks to this success, Tillis won the CMA Awards's most coveted award, '''Entertainer of the Year''', and was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame that year. He achieved another #1 in 1978 with "I Believe In You", and then again in 1979 with "Coca-Cola Cowboy", which was put in the Clint Eastwood movie ''Every Which Way But Loose''. Also in 1978, Mel co-hosted a short-lived variety series on ABC television, ''Mel and Susan Together'' with model Susan Anton. Other hits around this time included "Send Me Down to Tucson", "Ain't No California", and "I Got the Hoss". In mid-1979, Tillis switched over to another record company once again, this time with Elektra Records.
After signing under Elektra in mid-1979, he continued to make hit songs, like "Blind In Love" and "Lying Time Again", both hits for Tillis in 1979. Up until 1981, Tillis remained on top his game as one of Country music's most successful vocalists of the era. "Your Body Is an Outlaw", went to #3 in 1980, followed by another Top 10 hit, "Steppin' Out". "Southern Rains" was his last No. 1 hit, when it became a hit in 1981. That same year, he dueted with Nancy Sinatra on the Top 30 hit "Texas Cowboy Night". He remained with Elektra until 1982, before switching back over to MCA for a brief period in 1983. That summer, he scored a Top 10 hit with "In The Middle Of The Night" and had his last Top 10 hit with "New Patches" in 1984. By this time however, Tillis built up a financial empire, thanks to investing in music-publishing companies, like Sawgrass and Cedarwood. He also appeared in movies, like ''The Villian'', ''Love Revival'', ''W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings'', ''The Cannonball Run'', ''Uphill All the Way'', a comedy western in which he starred with fellow country singer Roy Clark, among others. He briefly signed with RCA Records, as well as Mercury Records, and later Curb Records in 1991. By this time, his chart success faded from view.

Later Career & Life Today

Since his heyday in the 1970s, Tillis remained a songwriter in the 1980s, writing hits for Ricky Skaggs and Randy Travis respectively. He also wrote his autobiography called ''Stutterin' Boy'', (the title comes from Tillis' infamous speech impediment). He also built a theater in Branson, Missouri, where he performed on a regular basis until 2002. In 1998, he teamed up with Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings and Jerry Reed to form The Old Dogs. The group recorded a double album of songs penned entirely by Shel Silverstein. In July, 1998 Old Dogs Volumes 1 and 2 were released on the Atlantic Records label. A companion video, as well as a Greatest Hits album (comprised of previously released material by each individual artist), were also available. In the 1990s, Tillis' daughter, Pam Tillis became a successful Country music singer in her own right, having hits like "Maybe It Was Memphis" and "Shake the Sugar Tree". In June 1999 ABC news ran a story about Tillis being frustrated by his speech impediment, and stated that he went on to grow in confidence using techniques from stutterfree and, although Tillis has never spoken about this, many did note a small improvement in his problematic articulation about that time.
The Grand Ole Opry inducted Mel Tillis on June 9, 2007, He was inducted into the Opry by his daughter Pam Tillis. Along with being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, on August 7, 2007, it was announced that Tillis along with Ralph Emery and Vince Gill are the newest to be induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Family

★ Mel has 6 children. Mel Tillis Jr. (a successful songwriter), Pam Tillis, Carrie April Tillis, Connie Tillis, Cindy Tillis, and Hannah Tillis.

★ He also has 6 grandchildren. Marshall Howden, Madison Howden, Tanner Westmoreland, Katherine Westmoreland, Phillip Hollingsworth, Ben Asher Mason.

★ Mel has 1 brother Richard (aka Bread Man), and 2 sisters Linda and Imogene.

Discography

Charted Singles

'Year'	'Single'	'U.S. Country Singles'	'Album'
1958	"The Violet and a Rose"	#24	''single only''
1959	"Finally"	#28	''single only''
1959	"Sawmill" (with Bill Phillips)	#27	''single only''
1960	"Georgia Town Blues" (with Bill Phillips)	#24	''single only''
1965	"Wine"	#15	''single only''
1966	"Stateside"	#17	''Stateside''
1967	"Life Turned Her That Way"	#11	''Life Turned Her That Way''
1968	"Something Special"	#17	''Something Special''
1969	"Who's Julie"	#10	''Who's Julie''
1969	"Old Faithful"	#15	''Old Faithful''
1969	"These Lonely Hands Of Mine"	#9	''She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere''
1970	"She'll Be Hangin' Around Somewhere"	#10	''She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere''
1970	"Heart Over Mind"	#3	''She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere''
1970	"Heaven Everyday"	#5	''One More Time''
1970	"Commercial Affection"	#8	''Arms of a Fool/Commercial Affection''
1971	"Arms of a Fool"	#4	''Arms of a Fool/Commercial Affection''
1971	"Take My Hand" (with Sherry Bryce)	#8	''Living and Learning''
1971	"Living and Learning" (with Sherry Bryce)	#9	''Living and Learning''
1971	"Brand New Mister Me"	#8	''Very Best of Mel Tillis''
1972	"Anything's Better Than Nothing" (with Sherry Bryce)	#38	''Living and Learning''
1972	"I Ain't Never"	'#1'	''I Ain't Never''
1973	"Neon Rose"	#3	''I Ain't Never''
1973	"Thank You For Being You"	#21	''Sawmill''
1973	"Sawmill"	#2	''Sawmill''
1974	"Midnight Me and the Blues"	#2	''Stomp Them Grapes''
1974	"Stomp Them Grapes"	#3	''Stomp Them Grapes''
1974	"Don't Let Go" (with Sherry Bryce)	#11	''Let's Go All The Way Tonight''
1974	"Let's Go All The Way Tonight" (with Sherry Bryce)	#26	''Let's Go All The Way Tonight''
1974	"Memory Maker"	#3	''I Ain't Never''
1975	"You Are The One" (with Sherry Bryce)	#14	''Let's Go All The Way Tonight''
1975	"Mr. Right and Mrs. Wrong" (with Sherry Bryce)	#32	''Let's Go All The Way Tonight''
1975	"The Best Way I Know How"	#7	''The Best Way I Know How''
1975	"Woman In the Back of My Mind"	#4	''The Best Way I Know How''
1976	"Lookin' For Tomorrows (And Findin' Yesterdays)"	#16	''M-M-Mel''
1976	"Mental Revenge"	#15	''M-M-Mel''
1976	"Love Revival"	#11	''Love Revival''
1976	"Good Woman Blues"	'#1'	''Love Revival''
1977	"Heart Healer"	'#1'	''Heart Healer''
1977	"Burning Memories"	#9	''Heart Healer''
1977	"I Got the Hoss"	#3	''Love's Troubled Waters''
1978	"What Did I Promise Her Last Night"	#4	''Love's Troubled Waters''
1978	"I Believe In You"	'#1'	''I Believe In You''
1978	"Ain't No California"	#4	''I Believe In You''
1979	"Send Me Down to Tucson"	#2	''Are You Sincere''
1979	"Coca-Cola Cowboy"	'#1'	''Mr. Entertainer''
1979	"Blind In Love"	#6	''Me and Pepper''
1980	"Lying Time Again"	#6	''Me and Pepper''
1980	"Your Body Is An Outlaw"	#3	''Your Body Is An Outlaw''
1980	"Steppin' Out"	#9	''Your Body Is An Outlaw''
1981	"Southern Rains"	'#1'	''Southern Rains''
1981	"Million Old Goodbyes"	#8	''Southern Rains''
1981	"One Night Fever"	#10	''Southern Rains''
1981	"Texas Cowboy Night" (with Nancy Sinatra)	#23	''Mel and Nancy''
1982	"It's A Long Way To Daytona"	#36	''It's A Long Way To Daytona''
1982	"The One That Got Away"	#37	''It's A Long Way To Daytona''
1982	"Stay A Little Longer"	#17	''Greatest Hits''
1983	"In The Middle Of The Night"	#10	''After All This Time''
1984	"New Patches"	#10	''New Patches''
1985	"You Done Me Wrong"	#37	''California Road''
1988	"You'll Come Back (You Always Do)"	#31	''single only''

External links

★ Official Website