Country legend and Elvis Presley
songwriter Mac Davis has died aged 78.The musician - who co-wrote
several tracks with the late King of Rock and Roll, including 1968 hit 'A
Little Less Conversation' - passed away after falling "critically
ill" during heart surgery on Tuesday (29.09.20), his manager Jim Morey has
confirmed.
In a Facebook statement, he
wrote: "It's with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of Mac Davis.
He was surrounded by the love of his life and wife of 38 years, Lise, and his
sons Scott, Noah and Cody.
Mac has been my client for over
40 years, and more importantly.. my best friend."He was a music legend but
his most important work was that as a loving husband, father, grandfather and
friend.
"I will miss laughing about
our many adventures on the road and his insightful sense of humor.
"When there was a tough
decision to be made he often told me 'You decide.. I'm going to the golf
course!' To quote from his song I Believe in Music.. 'I could just sit around
making music all day long. As long as I'm making my music ain't gonna do nobody
no harm. And who knows maybe I'll come up with a song.'
Tributes have flooded in for the
trailblazing star, including a touching piece by Kenny Hesney, who Davis
worked with, who remembered him as having "a giant heart".
He told Variety: "I met Mac
as a young artist just starting out on my journey, when he was already a legend
and a songwriting hero to me. He welcomed me into his home, and turned that
tremendous creative light on me. Even though he'd written 'In The Ghetto' for
Elvis and had so many incredible hits of his own, he made me feel like what I
was doing mattered. A small town boy who'd achieved the greatest kinds of fame,
he remained a good guy, a family man. That was Mac: a giant heart, quick to
laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me. And
Mac, who was joyous, funny and created a family around him, never stopped
writing great songs, creating music and inspiring everyone around him. He loved
his wife Lisa and his kids, and all kinds of people. He kept in touch, always a
kind word, a new joke or a piece of song he was working on, which made him a
blessing to everyone who came into his life."
Richard Marx tweeted: "This
is such a drag. RIP to the incredible #MacDavis. Thank you for your incredible
songs and your kindness to me. It was an honor to hear you tell me stories. (sic)"
Country icon Dolly Parton had
sent her well wishes to Davis after she heard he was seriously unwell.
Retweeting the news from the
official Mac Davis Twitter page, she wrote: "#PrayForMacDavis."
Davis started out writing for
Elvis and produced his hits 'Memories', 'In the Ghetto' and 'Don't Cry Daddy'.
He went on to have his own
successful solo career, and had a major hit with 'Baby, Don't Get Hooked on
Me', which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening charts in 1972, and
spent three weeks at number one.
Davis was inducted into the
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000 and awarded a star on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame.
Away from music, Davis had his
own television variety show on NBC, 'The Mac Davis Show'.
And was named one of 12
"promising new actors" in 1979, following his debut feature film
starring alongside Nick Nolte in 'North Dallas Forty'.
He later starred on the big
screen in movies such as 'Angel's Dance', 'The Wendell Baker Story' and 'Deck
the Halls', and several TV shows - including a stint on US sitcom 'Rodney'
between 2004 and 2006.
Davis also starred in the titular
role of Will Rogers in the Broadway production of 'The Will Rogers Follies'.
