Introduction to Mac Davis
Mac Davis is a country singer and guitarist, who also enjoyed crossover chart hits such as “Stop and Smell The Roses,” “One Hell Of A Woman” and “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me.” He is also a successful songwriter, penning hits specifically for Elvis Presley: “In The Ghetto,” “Memories” and “A Little Less Conversation.” The Lubbock, Texas native started in the music business as a songwriter and worked under Nancy Sinatra’s Boots Enterprises, Inc. He became a really famous hitmaker before moving on to become a country singer, and in this career he achieved his #1 pop hit “Baby Don’t Get Hooked One Me” in 1972; his success as a singer went on in the 80s. As an actor, Davis appeared on films such asPossums, and The Sting II; on The Will Rogers Follies, a Broadway play; and on TV shows such as The Muppet Show and his own variety show as well. When he experienced a decline in the mid-80s, Davis returned to the music business on Dolly Parton’s White Limozeen album in 1989. In 2006 Davis became an inductee into Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
Early life and start in the music business
Country/pop singer-songwriter and actor Mac Davis was born in Lubbock, Texas (also the birthplace of Buddy Holly) on January 21, 1942. Some sources say that his real name is Morris Mac Davis, while others cite that Scott Davis is his birth name. During his teens he began performing in local rock bands.
Others cite that Davis got his start in the music business behind the spotlight. In the early 1960s he was hired by Vee Jay label as regional manager in its Atlanta, Georgia office. Three years later he was employed by Liberty label, and in 1967 he relocated to Los Angeles, California to run Liberty’s publishing division Metric Music.
Along the way, Davis began to write his own songs. As a songwriter he was first employed by Boots Enterprises, Inc., a company owned and run by Nancy Sinatra during the late 1960s. During his tenure at Boots, Davis also played in many of Sinatra’s recordings as well as in her live performances.
Davis also wrote songs for Glen Campbell, Bobby Goldsboro, Lou Rawls, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, among others. He also wrote (and co-wrote) songs for Elvis Presley, among them “A Little Less Conversation,” “Memories,” “Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife,” “Home,” “It’s Such a Lonely Time of the Year,” and “In the Ghetto.”
Singing and recording career
In 1970 Davis became a recording artist himself when he signed with Columbia Records. His first charting single (also in that same year) was his self-penned song “Whoever Finds This, I Love You” which etched on both country and pop charts.
“Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me,” and Davis’ other hits
Davis continued his minor crossover hits until in 1972 where he achieved his major success with “Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me.” He wrote this song when Columbia demanded that he come up with “a tune with a ‘hook’.”
“Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me” was a huge crossover success, peaking at #1 on both Billboard adult contemporary singles chart and Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. It also peaked at #26 on the country singles chart and #29 on the British chart also in that same year. The song’s success was futher capped with a Grammy nomination. The song’s album, also titled Baby Don’t Get Hooked on Me, was his breakthrough album.
Throughout the 1970s Davis continued his crossover success. 1974 was another peak year for Davis as he scored two top 20 pop hits with “One Hell of a Woman” (#11 pop, #20 adult contemporary) and “Rock ‘n Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)” (#15 pop, #4 adult contemporary, #29 country) as well as second and final Top 10 pop hit with “Stop and Smell the Roses” (#9 pop, #1 adult contemporary and #40 country). His albums Stop and Smell the Roses andForever Lovers were a hit on both camps.
Between 1974 to 1976 Davis consolidated his success by hosting his own television show on NBC simply titled The Mac Davis Show, and guesting on a string of special TV musical productions including The Muppet Show. By this time Davis had also began another career as an actor by appearing on movies such asNorth Dallas Forty alongside Nick Nolte.
Decline and comeback
His success continued until the early or mid-1980s, where emerging country artists such as Garth Brooks and Clint Black began to take on the spotlight. Besides, Davis’ movie career also took a disastrous turn when he appeared in 1983’s The Sting II, which flopped. This effectively put an end to his Hollywood career.
In 1989 (or 1990) Davis made a comeback as a songwriter by collaborating with Dolly Parton’s hit single “White Limozeen.” That same year, Davis also starred in the Broadway production of The Will Rogers Follies. He also co-wrote a song which appeared on the rock band Weezer’s album Hurley.
In 2006 Davis became an inductee into Songwriters Hall Of Fame.
Davis still continues to perform up to this day. He also released his latest album True, in 2013.