Alex Carson
Celebrating Mac Davis’ Life
Once the news broke that Mac Davis had passed on, a flood of solemn condolences and tributes to his life came pouring out of the music industry by the fellow performers that he touched with his musical expertise and gentle nature.
Nancy Sinatra was one of many figures to have sent out a tweet expressing that she was heartbroken to learn that Davis had passed.
Kenny Chesney issued a statement that echoed Sinatra’s sentiments while noting that he had met Davis when he was just starting off in his musical journey. He added that Mac had cordially invited him into his own home and helped turn on the creative light that was within him.
Mac’s manager and friend of 40 years made a post on the social media platform Facebook that reitterated how much of a legend Davis really was, but additionally he was a loving husband, family man and a true friend – one that would be sorely missed for both his large heart and cheerful sense of humor.
Davis’ Early Years
He was born Morris Mac Davis on January 21, 1942, in Lubbock, Texas. Although a Texan at heart, he was not. His father, T.J. Davis, was a religious man and a strict parent.
Lubbock was hard on young Mac. He routinely got into fights and was the victim of bullying. He went to high school at Lubbock High School where he graduated at the young age of 16. After graduating from high school, he discovers his way to Atlanta, Georgia where he reunite with his mother.
After Mac relocated to Atlanta, he joined a Rock and Roll band called the Zots and they put out two singles on OEK Records. He also landed a gig as a regional manager for Vee Jay records around this time – helping elevate R&B performers like Dee Clark and Gene Chandler into stardom. Later on, he jumped shipped from Vee Jay and began managing artists for Liberty Records.
While he worked as an employee for Nancy Sinatra’s label Boots Enterprises, he got the opportunity to play on many of her tracks. She then helped him to get his start on stage by working him into some of the stage shows she was producing.
With Elvis Presley and B.J. Thomas
This was around the same time that he got the chance to work with Elvis Presley and B.J. Thomas among many other superstars.
After writing ‘A Little Less Conversation’ for Presley, Davis became a recognized heavyweight in the music industry himself. Soon enough he was releasing his own records and before long artists such as Louis Jordon, Perry Como, and Vicki Carr were covering his songs.
Following his early-on success as a rock and roll musician, he made a name for himself as a country singer. His overtly sexual hit song ‘Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me’ clinched the number one position of the Billboard Hot 100 list and even earned him a Grammy nod, but his musical achievements didn’t end there.
Before we talk about Mac Davis’ other major contributions to the world of music, show us a little support if you haven’t already by liking this video and subscribing to our channel. Make sure you stick around to find out just how Davis passed away and what his last wishes were.
Mac Davis’ Musical Accomplishments
Some of Davis’ biggest solo hits that highlighted his prowess as a songwriter include the chart-topping tunes “One Hell of a Woman”, “I Believe in Music” and “Stop and Smell the Roses”.
In 1974, Mac received the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year Award.
In the later 70s, he make the move to Casablanca Records, a label that is popular for publishing successful records by disco legend Donna Summer and rock and rollers Kiss. And In 1980, he put out the novelty track ‘It’s Hard To Be Humble’ which became his first song to reach country music’s top 10.
His track ‘Hooked on Music’ in 1981, would go to number 2, and ‘I Never Made (Till I Made Love With You’ in 1985 would be his last song to reach the country charts top 10.
In 2000, he immortalizes his life in music by inducting into Nashville’s Songwriters Hall of Fame – one of the top prestigious honors for artists of his caliber.
When asked about working with Elvis back in the day, he told Songwriter University back in 2017 that it was one of the most exciting periods of his life. He went on to express that he felt as if he was a bit of a late-entry into the music industry but working with artists like Pressley, Bobby Goldsboro, and Kenny Rogers really helped springboard his career. Appearing on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson also helped Davis become a household name. He soon found himself to be a songwriter that was in high demand and subsequently his life was filled with joy and a sense of accomplishment.
Mac Davis Did Quite Well For Himself
Life isn’t all about the pursuit of wealth, but even so, Mac Davis found financial success in his career. In addition to being a sought-after musician, he also had a decent run in film and television.
His first television appearance was on The Johnny Cash Show back in 1970. He then hosted The Mac Davis show from 1974 to 1976 and later appeared on The Muppet Show in 1980 and Dolly Parton’s musical Netflix offering in 2019 titled Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.
Throughout the 90s and 2000s, he guest-starred on a number of hit TV shows such as That 70s Show, King of the Hill, Webster, and even Johnny Bravo.
He appeared in almost 2 dozen films as well including The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood, Where The Red Fern Grows, and Beer For My Horses just to name a few.
At his time of death, his net worth was $12 million. That’s not too shabby considering that he was raised in virtual poverty and came from a relatively unconnected family. Mac Davis truly made a name for himself and left behind a legacy that speaks volumes about his talent and character. It makes you wonder what the driving force was behind his enduring career. Well, some might say that it was his family.
Mac’s Personal Life
Davis always prided himself as a family man, although this didn’t always come easy to him. His first marriage to Fran Cook in 1963, when Davis was just 21 years, of age and ended in divorce 5 years later when she expressed the desire to ‘do her own thing’ and him to ‘do his’. That union did produce one fruitful thing, however – namely his son Joel Scott.
His next marriage was in 1971 with Sarah Barg. She was just 16 when she met Davis living in the same apartment building as herself. That arrangement too ended in divorce in 1976 when she left him for Glen Campbell. Davis and Barg didn’t have any children together.
His third and final marriage was the one that stuck. In 1980, Davis was introduced to a 22-year-old nurse by the name of Lise Gerard. The two were wed just two years later and they had two children together – Noah Claire and Cody Luke. The two remained in conjugality with each other until Davis’ death at 78.
Mac Davis Later Works And Death
It had been years since Davis had seen any activity in the charts, but that didn’t mean that he had hung his guitar up on the wall for good. In recent times, Davis returned to form and worked as a songwriter for aspiring modern musicians. Notably, he collaborated with Swedish DJ Avicii in 2014 on the hit track ‘Addicted to you’. Avicii as you may already know sadly took his own life in 2018 at the age of 28.
He was also the writer of ‘Young Girls’ which Bruno Mars performed on his 2012 record Unorthodox Jukebox. Some of his other recent and notable offerings included collabs with Keith Urban and Rivers Cuomo from the alternative rock band Weezer.
Davis had been suffering from heart disease for many years. In September of 2020 he went in for surgery, but tragically complications from the procedure led to his death.
In Mac’s 1974 minor hit song ‘Texas in my Rear View Mirror’ he sang “when I die, you can bury me in Lubbock, Texas in my jeans’. It remains to be seen if his wishes will be carried out as stated.
Although Mac Davis may be gone, it’s certain that he will not be forgotten. We send out our deepest condolences to the loved ones that he left behind. May his music continue to inspire the next generation of aspiring songwriters.
Are you a fan of Mac Davis or were you previously unaware of his music? Let us know in the comments section.
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