Mel Tillis
Encyclopedia
Lonnie Melvin Tillis known professionally as Mel Tillis, is an American country music
singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits
.
Tillis's 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. He is also known for his speech impediment, which does not affect his singing voice. His daughter is country music singer Pam Tillis
.
, Florida
in 1932. His stutter developed during his childhood, a result of a bout with 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, he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclub
s. Tillis attended the University of Florida
.
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's material around this time. In the late 1950s, after becoming a hit-making songwriter, he signed his own contract with Columbia Records
. In 1958, he had his first Top 40 hit, "The Violet and a Rose", followed by the Top 25 hit "Sawmill".
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's 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
, and in 1965 he had his first Top 15 hit with "Wine". Other hits continued to follow, such as "Stateside" and "Life Turned Her That Way" (which was later covered by Ricky Van Shelton
in 1988, going 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
(it has also been covered by the Hacienda Brothers
, Linda Ronstadt
, Gram Parsons
, Barbara Mandrell
, and Jamey Johnson
). In 1968, Tillis achieved his first Top 10 hit with "Who's Julie". He also was a regular featured singer on The Porter Wagoner
Show.
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 a hit by Webb Pierce, Tillis's version is the better-known version of the two. Most of the above-mentioned song hits were recorded on MGM Records
, Tillis's 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 (reaching #3), entitled "Neon Rose", followed by "Sawmill", which reached #2. "Midnight, Me and the Blues" was another near chart-topper in 1974. Other hits Tillis had on MGM include "Stomp Them Grapes" (1974), "Memory Maker" (1974), "Woman in the Back of My Mind" (1975), and his version of "Mental Revenge" (1976). Tillis achieved his biggest success with MCA Records
, with whom he signed in 1976. It started with a pair of two #1 hits in 1976, "Good Woman Blues" and "Heart Healer
". (In an interview, he mentioned having written five hits in one week.) 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, in which he also made a cameo appearance. 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 to another record company, this time with Elektra Records
.
After signing with Elektra in mid 1979, he continued to make hit songs such as "Blind In Love" and "Lying Time Again", both hits 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" in 1981 was his last No. 1 hit. That same year, he released an album of duets with Nancy Sinatra
which spawned two hit singles; the Top 30 hit "Texas Cowboy Night" and the double A-side, "Play Me or Trade Me/Where Would I Be". He remained with Elektra until 1982 before switching back 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 had built up a financial empire thanks to investing in music publishing companies such as Sawgrass and Cedarwood
. He also appeared in movies, including The Villain
(1979), Love Revival
, W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
, The Cannonball Run, and Uphill All the Way
, a comedy western in which he starred with fellow country singer Roy Clark
, among others. In 1979 he acquired radio station KIXZ (AM) in Amarillo, Texas, from Sammons-Ruff Associates, which converted from Top 40 to country music and became a force in the Panhandle
region. A short time later, Tillis acquired Rock FM station KYTX, which changed calls to KMML (a play on Mr. Tillis's stutter). Still later he operated WMML in Mobile, Alabama. All of his stations were sold after a time for a healthy return. He briefly signed with RCA Records
as well as Mercury Records
and later Curb Records
in 1991. By this time, his chart success had faded.
and Randy Travis
. He also wrote his autobiography
called Stutterin' Boy (the title comes from Tillis's speech impediment). Tillis appeared as the television commercial spokesman for the fast-food restaurant chain Whataburger
during the 1980s. 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 (composed of previously released material by each individual artist) were also available. In the 1990s, Tillis's 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 around that time. His speech problem is not evident in singing—only in talking.
The Grand Ole Opry
inducted Mel Tillis on June 9, 2007. He was inducted into the Opry by his daughter Pam. Along with being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, it was announced on August 7 that year that Tillis, along with Ralph Emery
and Vince Gill
, is the latest to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
, Carrie April Tillis, Connie Tillis, Cindy Tillis, and Hannah Tillis. Mel has one brother, Richard, and two sisters, Linda and Imogene. He also has 6 grandchildren: Marshall Howden, Madison Howden, Tanner Westmoreland, Katherine Westmoreland, Phillip Hollingsworth, Ben Asher Mason.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
.
Tillis's biggest hits include "I Ain't Never
I Ain't Never
"I Ain't Never" is the title of a song, recorded in 1972, by American country music artist Mel Tillis. It was his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts....
", "Good Woman Blues
Good Woman Blues
"Good Woman Blues" is a 1976 single written by Ken McDuffie and recorded by Mel Tillis. "Good Woman Blues" would be Mel Tillis' second number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for two weeks and spent a total of twelve weeks on the country chart.-Chart performance:...
", and "Coca-Cola Cowboy". He also has won the CMA Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year. He is also known for his speech impediment, which does not affect his singing voice. His daughter is country music singer Pam Tillis
Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....
.
Early life
Tillis was born in DoverDover, Florida
Dover is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,702 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Dover is located at ....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
in 1932. His stutter developed during his childhood, a result of a bout with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. 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
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
and worked for the railroad. When young Tillis was stationed in Okinawa, he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
s. Tillis attended the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
.
After leaving the military in 1955, Tillis worked a number of odd jobs and moved to Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
the following year. Tillis wrote "I'm Tired", a #3 country hit for Webb Pierce
Webb Pierce
Webb Michael Pierce was one of the most popular American honky tonk vocalists of the 1950s, charting more number one hits than any other country artist during the decade. His biggest hit was "In The Jailhouse Now," which charted for 37 weeks in 1955, 21 of them at number one...
in 1957. Other Tillis hits include "Honky Tonk Song" and "Tupelo County Jail". Ray Price
Ray Price (musician)
Ray Price is an American country music singer, songwriter and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone has often been praised as among the best male voices of country music...
and Brenda Lee
Brenda Lee
Brenda Mae Tarpley , known as Brenda Lee, is an American performer who sang rockabilly, pop and country music, and had 37 US chart hits during the 1960s, a number surpassed only by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Ray Charles and Connie Francis...
also charted hits with Tillis's material around this time. In the late 1950s, after becoming a hit-making songwriter, he signed his own contract with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. In 1958, he had his first Top 40 hit, "The Violet and a Rose", followed by the Top 25 hit "Sawmill".
Rise to fame
Although Tillis charted on his own BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
list, he had more success as a songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
. He continued to be Webb Pierce's songwriter. He wrote the hits "I Ain't Never" (Tillis's own future hit) and "Crazy, Wild Desire". Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
, Wanda Jackson
Wanda Jackson
Wanda Lavonne Jackson is an American singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist who had success in the mid-1950s and 60s as one of the first popular female rockabilly singers and a pioneering rock and roll artist...
, and Stonewall Jackson
Stonewall Jackson (musician)
Stonewall Jackson is an American country singer and musician who achieved his greatest fame during country's "golden" honky tonk era in the 1950s and early 1960s.-Early years:...
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
Kapp Records
Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp . David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca Records and RCA Victor Records. Kapp licensed its records to London Records for release in the UK.In 1967, David Kapp sold his label to MCA Inc...
, and in 1965 he had his first Top 15 hit with "Wine". Other hits continued to follow, such as "Stateside" and "Life Turned Her That Way" (which was later covered by Ricky Van Shelton
Ricky Van Shelton
Ricky Van Shelton is a currently retired American country music artist. Active between 1986 and 2006, he has charted more than twenty singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts...
in 1988, going to #1). He wrote for Charley Pride
Charley Pride
Charley Frank Pride is an American country music singer. His smooth baritone voice was featured on thirty-nine number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. His greatest success came in the early- to mid-1970s, when he became the best-selling performer for RCA Records since Elvis...
("The Snakes Crawl At Night") and wrote a big hit for Kenny Rogers & the First Edition
The First Edition
The First Edition was a country music/rock band. Its stalwart members being Kenny Rogers , Mickey Jones and Terry Williams...
called "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town
Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" is a song written by Mel Tillis. The song was made famous by Kenny Rogers and the First Edition in 1969. "Ruby" was originally recorded in 1967 by Johnny Darrell, who scored a number nine country hit with it that year....
". He also wrote the hit "Mental Revenge" for Outlaw superstar Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
(it has also been covered by the Hacienda Brothers
Hacienda Brothers
The Hacienda Brothers is the name of an alternative country band composed of Chris Gaffney, Dave Gonzalez, Dave Berzansky, Dale Daniel, and Hank Maninger. They have been described as "the finest country-rock band since the Flying Burrito Brothers in their prime," and were called "the best country...
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons
Gram Parsons was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and pianist. Parsons is best known for his work within the country genre; he also mixed blues, folk, and rock to create what he called "Cosmic American Music"...
, Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Mandrell
Barbara Ann Mandrell is an American country music singer best known for a 1970s–1980s series of Top 10 hits and TV shows that helped her become one of country's most successful female vocalists of the 1970s and 1980s...
, and Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson
Jamey Johnson is an American Grammy Award nominated country music artist. Signed to BNA Records in 2005, Johnson made his debut with his single "The Dollar," the title track to his 2006 album The Dollar...
). In 1968, Tillis achieved his first Top 10 hit with "Who's Julie". He also was a regular featured singer on The Porter Wagoner
Porter Wagoner
Porter Wayne Wagoner was a popular American country music singer known for his flashy Nudie and Manuel suits and blond pompadour. He introduced the young Dolly Parton near the beginning of her career on his long-running television show, and they were a well-known duet throughout the late 1960s and...
Show.
The height of his career
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's career as a country singer went into full swing. Hits soon came quite easily, such as "Heaven Everyday" (1970), "Commercial Affection" (1970), "Arms of a Fool" (1970), "Take My Hand" (a duet with Sherry BryceSherry Bryce
Sherry Bryce is an American country music artist. Between 1971 and 1977, she charted fifteen times on the Billboard country singles charts, including seven duets with Mel Tillis. Their highest-charting duet was 1971's "Take My Hand" at #8. They were also nominated in 1974 at the Country Music...
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 a hit by Webb Pierce, Tillis's version is the better-known version of the two. Most of the above-mentioned song hits were recorded on MGM Records
MGM Records
MGM Records was a record label started by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film studio in 1946, for the purpose of releasing soundtrack albums of their musical films. Later it became a pop label, lasting into the 1970s...
, Tillis's 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 (reaching #3), entitled "Neon Rose", followed by "Sawmill", which reached #2. "Midnight, Me and the Blues" was another near chart-topper in 1974. Other hits Tillis had on MGM include "Stomp Them Grapes" (1974), "Memory Maker" (1974), "Woman in the Back of My Mind" (1975), and his version of "Mental Revenge" (1976). Tillis achieved his biggest success with MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, with whom he signed in 1976. It started with a pair of two #1 hits in 1976, "Good Woman Blues" and "Heart Healer
Heart Healer
"Heart Healer" is a 1977 single written by John Greenebaum and Tomas Gmeiner and recorded by Mel Tillis. "Heart Healer" would be Mel Tillis' third number one on the country chart. The single stayed at number one for one week and spent a total of nine weeks on the country chart.-Chart performance:...
". (In an interview, he mentioned having written five hits in one week.) 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
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with music community in the city of...
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
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
movie Every Which Way but Loose, in which he also made a cameo appearance. Also in 1978, Mel co-hosted a short-lived variety series on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television, Mel and Susan Together with model Susan Anton
Susan Anton
-Youth:Anton attended Yucaipa High School in Yucaipa, California, and graduated in 1968. After high school, Anton attended San Bernardino Valley College...
. 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 to another record company, this time with Elektra Records
Elektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
.
After signing with Elektra in mid 1979, he continued to make hit songs such as "Blind In Love" and "Lying Time Again", both hits 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" in 1981 was his last No. 1 hit. That same year, he released an album of duets with Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
which spawned two hit singles; the Top 30 hit "Texas Cowboy Night" and the double A-side, "Play Me or Trade Me/Where Would I Be". He remained with Elektra until 1982 before switching back 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 had built up a financial empire thanks to investing in music publishing companies such as Sawgrass and Cedarwood
Cedarwood
Cedarwood may refer to:*Cedar wood products of several types of tree, as in Cedar *HMCS Cedarwood , a ship...
. He also appeared in movies, including The Villain
The Villain
The Villain is a 1979 American film. A parody of western films, it was directed by Hal Needham and starred Kirk Douglas, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ann-Margret, Paul Lynde, Foster Brooks, Strother Martin, Ruth Buzzi, Jack Elam, and Mel Tillis...
(1979), Love Revival
Love Revival
Love Revival is a compilation album by country singer Reba McEntire. The album was released on January 2, 2008 exclusively at Hallmark gift and card stores in the United States. It did not chart because of the reason that it is only sold at Hallmark gift and card stores in the United States only.On...
, W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings is a 1975 film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by Thomas Rickman. The 20th Century Fox film took place in 1957 and featured the first acting appearances of Jerry Reed and Brad Dourif....
, The Cannonball Run, and Uphill All the Way
Uphill All the Way
Uphill All The Way is a 1986 motion picture starring Roy Clark, Mel Tillis, Glen Campbell, Burl Ives and Trish Van Devere....
, a comedy western in which he starred with fellow country singer Roy Clark
Roy Clark
Roy Linwood Clark is an American country music musician and performer. He is best known for hosting Hee Haw, a nationally televised country variety show, from 1969–1992. Clark has been an important and influential figure in country music, both as a performer and helping to popularize the genre...
, among others. In 1979 he acquired radio station KIXZ (AM) in Amarillo, Texas, from Sammons-Ruff Associates, which converted from Top 40 to country music and became a force in the Panhandle
Panhandle
A panhandle is an informal geographic term for an elongated arm-like protrusion of a geo-political entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.-Term:...
region. A short time later, Tillis acquired Rock FM station KYTX, which changed calls to KMML (a play on Mr. Tillis's stutter). Still later he operated WMML in Mobile, Alabama. All of his stations were sold after a time for a healthy return. He briefly signed with RCA Records
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
as well as Mercury Records
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
and later Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
in 1991. By this time, his chart success had faded.
Later career and life
Since his heyday in the 1970s, Tillis remained a songwriter in the 1980s, writing hits for Ricky SkaggsRicky Skaggs
Rickie Lee "Ricky" Skaggs is a country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer. He primarily plays mandolin; however, he also plays fiddle, guitar, and banjo.-Early career:...
and Randy Travis
Randy Travis
Randy Travis is an American country music singer and actor. Since 1985, he has recorded 20 studio albums and charted more than 30 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 22 of which were number one hits...
. He also wrote his autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
called Stutterin' Boy (the title comes from Tillis's speech impediment). Tillis appeared as the television commercial spokesman for the fast-food restaurant chain Whataburger
Whataburger
Whataburger is a privately held, regional restaurant chain specializing in hamburgers. The company, founded by Harmon Dobson, opened its first restaurant in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1950...
during the 1980s. He also built a theater in Branson
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, where he performed on a regular basis until 2002. In 1998, he teamed up with Bobby Bare
Bobby Bare
Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
and Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
to form The Old Dogs
Old Dogs
Old Dogs was an American country music supergroup composed of singers Waylon Jennings, Mel Tillis, Bobby Bare, and Jerry Reed. Signed in 1998 to Atlantic Records, Old Dogs recorded a self-titled studio album for the label that year. The album's content was written primarily by author, poet, and...
. The group recorded a double album of songs penned entirely by Shel Silverstein
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books...
. In July 1998 Old Dogs Volumes 1 and 2 were released on the Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
label. A companion video as well as a Greatest Hits album (composed of previously released material by each individual artist) were also available. In the 1990s, Tillis's daughter, Pam Tillis
Pam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....
, became a successful country music singer in her own right, having hits like "Maybe It Was Memphis
Maybe It Was Memphis
"Maybe It Was Memphis" is the title of a song recorded by American country music artist Pam Tillis on two separate occasions. She first cut the song on Warner Bros...
" and "Shake the Sugar Tree
Shake the Sugar Tree
"Shake the Sugar Tree" is the title of a country music song written by Chapin Hartord. It was recorded by American singer Pam Tillis on her 1992 album Homeward Looking Angel, from which it was released in 1992 as the album's lead-off single...
". 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 around that time. His speech problem is not evident in singing—only in talking.
The Grand Ole Opry
Grand Ole Opry
The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, that has presented the biggest stars of that genre since 1925. It is also among the longest-running broadcasts in history since its beginnings as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM-AM...
inducted Mel Tillis on June 9, 2007. He was inducted into the Opry by his daughter Pam. Along with being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, it was announced on August 7 that year that Tillis, along with Ralph Emery
Ralph Emery
Walter Ralph Emery is a country music disc jockey and television host from Nashville, Tennessee. He gained national fame hosting the syndicated television music series, Pop! Goes the Country, from 1974 to 1980 and the nightly Nashville Network television program, Nashville Now, from 1983 to 1993...
and Vince Gill
Vince Gill
Vincent Grant "Vince" Gill is an American neotraditional country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has achieved commercial success and fame both as frontman to the country rock band Pure Prairie League in the 1970s, and as a solo artist beginning in 1983, where his talents as a...
, is the latest to be inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Family
Tillis has six children: Mel Tillis, Jr. (a songwriter), Pam TillisPam Tillis
Pamela Yvonne "Pam" Tillis is an American country music singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of country music singer Mel Tillis....
, Carrie April Tillis, Connie Tillis, Cindy Tillis, and Hannah Tillis. Mel has one brother, Richard, and two sisters, Linda and Imogene. He also has 6 grandchildren: Marshall Howden, Madison Howden, Tanner Westmoreland, Katherine Westmoreland, Phillip Hollingsworth, Ben Asher Mason.