MAC DAVIS
Singer, actor, songwriter Scott "Mac" Davis was born in Lubbock, Texas. He began his career performing in his teens in rock groups. His first break came in 1962 after he had moved to Georgia where he first broke into the music business as a regional manager for Vee-Jay Records. After joining the Liberty label three years later in 1967 he moved on to Los Angeles where he headed their publishing company. It was during this time he started composing his own songs co-writing some with Glen Campbell, Bobby Goldsboro, Lou Rawls and Kenny Rogers. His first break, as a songwriter, came in 1968 when Elvis recorded his "A Little Less Conversation" and soon Elvis wanted more of his material recording "Memories" for the NBC TV Special "Elvis", "In The Ghetto" and "Don't Cry Daddy" both going platinum. In 1970 Mac Davis released his first charted single "Whoever Finds This, I Love You" reaching #43 on the country charts. In 1972 he recorded his biggest hit "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me" that reached #1 on the pop charts plus crossing over into the country charts. His crossover recordings continued for a decade with singles "Stop And Smell The Roses" in 1974, "Burnin' Thing" in 1975 and the following year "Forever Lovers" scoring with listeners in both camps.
Between 1974 and 75 Davis hosted a musical variety show for NBC Television, "The Mac Davis Show" followed by a string of specials plus performing regularly in concert. In 1979 Davis also starred in the popular film "The North Dallas Forty" with Nick Nolte. In 1975 The Academy Of Country Music named him Entertainer Of The Year. Davis success continued into the nineties with "It's Hard To Be Humble" #10 country charts, "Hooked On Music" #2 country charts, "Texas In My Rear View Mirror" #9 country charts based on his hometown of Lubbock. In 1985 he recorded his last top ten hit "I Never Made Love (Till I Made Love With You)" reaching #10 on the country charts. Mac Davis walked the thin line between country and pop with his lavishly produced sweet soft rock delivering the melodies with just a hint of West Texas twang. In 1990 Davis made a comeback as a songwriter , co-authoring Dolly Parton's Broadway hit and The Will Rogers Follies. His first LP in nearly a decade, appeared in 1994 "Will Write Songs For Food".
Mac has a street named in his honor in Lubbock, Mac Davis Lane
