6 Years Ago Today, We Lost the Country Hitmaker Who Wrote 4 Elvis Presley Classics and Starred in a Beloved NBC Variety Show

Some of the most talented musicians and songwriters aren’t household names. While Mac Davis might not ring a bell to some, there’s no way you haven’t heard his music. This country and pop icon was a successful singer-songwriter in his own right and also penned a handful of hits for Elvis Presley back in the 1960s. And he also had a variety show that you might have seen if you were a 70s kid.

Sadly, Davis passed away on this day, September 29, 2020, at the age of 78. Let’s honor him by taking a look back at his impressive career across genres and mediums.

The Legacy and Career of Mac Davis

Mac Davis was born on January 21, 1942, in Lubbock, Texas. He started his career by organizing a rock group called The Zots. He also worked for the record label Zee Jay, which famously produced music for musicians like Jerry Butler and Dee Clark. Davis would later work for Liberty Records.

He became well-known as a songwriter in the 1960s, namely through Boots Enterprises, Nancy Sinatra’s company, and he worked with the singer directly. He would later leave to sign with Columbia Records.

Mac Davis famously penned quite a few songs for rock icon Elvis Presley. Three of his songs, “Memories”, “Don’t Cry Daddy”, and “In The Ghetto”, became Top 40 hits for the King on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “A Little Less Conversation”, another Davis-penned hit, was an international success following Presley’s death, though it didn’t reach the Top 40 in the US.

Davis also enjoyed a successful solo career of his own. “I Believe In Music”, out in 1970, is considered by many to be Davis’ signature song, though it wasn’t an enormous hit at the time. His most successful charting hits as a singer include “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” from 1972 and “Stop and Smell the Roses” from 1974, among others.

Davis branched out from singing and songwriting into more eclectic ventures as well. He appeared in a number of television programs and films, as well as a Broadway musical. Most notably, Davis had his own variety show in the 70s. The Mac Davis Show aired on NBC from 1974 to 1976.

Mac Davis passed away on September 29, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 78. He passed following complications from heart surgery. His songs live on in the hearts of Elvis Presley fans and country music fans.

(Photo by PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images)

The post 6 Years Ago Today, We Lost the Country Hitmaker Who Wrote 4 Elvis Presley Classics and Starred in a Beloved NBC Variety Show appeared first on American Songwriter.