Mac Davis 1556326 225101569 2008-07-11T21:53:09Z Zephyrnthesky 1762455 added some wiki-links and fixed some italics and punctuation {{Refimprove|date=November 2007}} {{tooshort}} {{Infobox musical artist |Img=Replace this image male.svg <!-- only free-content images are allowed for depicting living people - see [[WP:NONFREE]] --> | | <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | Name = Mac Davis | Img = <!--albums aren't fair use for illustrating artist--> | Img_capt = | Img_size = <!-- Only for images smaller than 220 pixels --> | Landscape = | Background = solo_singer | Birth_name = Morris Mac Davis | Alias = Mac Davis | Born = {{Birth date and age|1942|1|21|mf=y}} | Origin = [[Lubbock, Texas]], [[U.S.]] | Instrument = [[Vocals]] | Genre = [[Country Music]]/[[Pop Music]] | Occupation = [[singer]]/[[songwriter]]/[[actor]] | Years_active = 1972-Present | Label = [[MCA Records|MCA]] | Associated_acts = [[Kenny Rogers]], [[Elvis Presley]], [[Crystal Gayle]] | URL = }} '''Morris Mac Davis''', known as '''Mac Davis''' (born [[January 21]], [[1942]]), is a [[country music]] [[singer]] and [[songwriter]] originally from [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]], [[Texas]] who has enjoyed much [[pop music]] [[Crossover (music)|crossover]] success. He became one of the most successful country singers of the 1970s and 1980s. He is also an [[actor]]. In 2008, Davis will appear with [[Barry Corbin]], who grew up in Lubbock, in a [[Toby Keith]] [[film]], ''[[Beer for My Horses (film)|Beer for My Horses]]''. ==Career as a songwriter== Davis initially rose to fame as a songwriter, having early success with the 1969 song for [[Elvis Presley]] called "[[In the Ghetto]]". He later proved to the public that he was more than just a songwriter, but also a country singer. Especially in the 1970s, many of his songs found success on the country and pop charts alike, including "[[Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me]]" (a number one hit), "[[One Hell of a Woman]]" (Pop #11), and "[[Stop and Smell the Roses (song)|Stop and Smell the Roses]]" (a #9 Pop hit). In the 1970s, he also was active as an actor, hosting his own variety show during this time and also appearing in several movies. Davis graduated at sixteen from [[Lubbock High School]] in Lubbock, Texas. He spent his childhood years, with his sister Linda, living and working at the former College Courts, an efficiency apartment complex that his father, T.J. Davis, had purchased located at the intersection of College Avenue and 5th Street. Davis describes his father, who was [[divorce]]d from Davis' mother, as "very religious, very strict, very stubborn." Though Davis was physically small, he had a penchant for getting into fistfights. "In those days, it was all about football, rodeo and fistfights. . . . Oh, man, I got beat up so much while I was growing up in Lubbock," Davis said in a [[March 2]], 2008, interview with the ''[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]]'' [[newspaper]]. "I was 5 feet, 9 inches, and weighed 125 pounds. I joined [[Golden Gloves]] but didn't do good even in my division." After he finished high school, Davis moved to [[Atlanta, Georgia]], where his mother lived.<ref>[http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/030208/loc_252890600.shtml Mac Davis remembers his days in Lubbock | A-J ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In Atlanta, Davis played [[rock and roll]] music. He also worked for the [[Vee Jay]] record company (home to R&B stars such as [[Gene Chandler]], [[Jerry Butler (singer)|Jerry Butler]] and [[Dee Clark]]) as a regional manager, and later also served as a regional manager for [[Liberty Records]]. In the meantime, Davis was also writing songs. One of the songs he wrote in 1968, called "A Little Less Conversation," was recorded by [[Elvis Presley]] (and would become a posthumous hit for Presley many years later). Shortly after, Presley recorded Davis' song "In the Ghetto" in his sessions in [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]. According to maverick record producer [[Jimmy Bowen]], "Ghetto" was originally pitched to [[Sammy Davis Jr.]]. Mac, guitar in hand, played the song in a studio, with onlookers such as [[Rev. Jesse Jackson]] and other members of the black activist community. Davis, the only white man in the room at the time would eventually tell Bowen, "I don't know whether to thank ya, or to kill ya." Davis never recorded the tune. The song became a hit for Presley and he continued to record more of Davis' material, like "Memories" and "Don't Cry Daddy". [[Bobby Goldsboro]] also recorded some of Mac's songs, like "[[Watching Scotty Grow]]", which became a number one [[Adult Contemporary]] hit for Goldsboro in 1971. Other artists that recorded his material included [[O.C. Smith]] and [[Kenny Rogers]] and [[The First Edition]]. "I Believe In Music," often considered to be Davis' [[signature song]], was recorded by several artists (including [[Marian Love]] and Davis himself) before it finally became a hit in 1972 for the group [[Gallery (band)|Gallery]]. ==Success as a singer== Mac soon decided to pursue a career in country music. He was soon signed to [[Columbia Records]] in 1970. His big success came two years later in 1972 when he topped the Country and Pop charts with the hit song "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me". Mac's work in music seemed sometimes to be overtly sexual. For example, "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" (in which he pleads with a woman not to get too attached to him because he doesn't want to commit to a full-time relationship with her) was one of them, as well as other hit songs like "Naughty Girl" and "Baby Spread Your Love on Me". He wasn't alone in this; many country songs popular in the 1970s and 1980s featured sexual overtones. In 1974, Mac was awarded the Academy of Country Music's ''Entertainer of the Year'' award. Some of Davis' other hits included "Stop and Smell the Roses" (a number one Adult Contemporary hit in 1974), "One Hell of a Woman," and "Burnin' Thing". At the end of the 1970s, he moved to [[Casablanca Records]], which had now gone into country music and was known primarily for its success with [[disco]] diva [[Donna Summer]] and rockers [[Kiss (band)]]. His first hit for the label in 1980 was the novelty hit "It's Hard To Be Humble" which became his first country Top 10. He also had another Top 10 with "Let's Keep It That Way" later in the year. He achieved other hit songs like "Texas In My Rear View Mirror" and "Hooked on Music" which became his biggest country hit in 1981 going to #2. In 1985, he recorded his (to date) last Top Ten country hit with the song "I Never Made Love (Till I Made Love With You)". ==Acting career== From 1974 to 1976, Davis had his own television [[variety show]] on [[NBC]], ''[[The Mac Davis Show]]''. He made his [[feature film]] debut opposite [[Nick Nolte]] in the [[football (American)|football]] film, ''[[North Dallas Forty]]'' ([[1979 in film|1979]]) and as a result, was listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1979" by ''[[Screen World]]'' magazine. This proved that Mac could have success in not just singing and songwriting, but also as an actor. He soon became well known for all three of these careers. Davis played [[Will Rogers]] in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[The Will Rogers Follies]]''. He was inducted into the [[Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in 2000. For his contribution to the recording industry, he has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 7080 Hollywood Blvd. In 1980, Davis hosted an episode of ''[[The Muppet Show]]''. [http://www.kermitage.com/html/epguide/tms/season5/davis.html] Davis served as the balladeer for the 2000 telefilm ''The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood'' , replacing Don Williams, who served the part in 1997's The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!, and [[Waylon Jennings]], who narrated the original ''[[Dukes of Hazzard]]'' TV show. Davis was the first balladeer to appear on screen to welcome the audience and provide exposition. From 1999 to 2004, Davis voiced the characters Sheriff Buford (two episodes) and talk radio host, "the Sports Jock" (two episodes), on the animated series ''[[King of the Hill]]''. Davis also guest starred briefly in the ''[[8 Simple Rules]]'' episode "Let's Keep Going, Part II" in April 2004 and also had a recurring role as Rodney Carrington's father-in-law on the sitcom ''[[Rodney]]''. ==Decline and comeback== By the mid-1980s, his career in music was declining. His chart success was falling rapidly; Davis was one of many Country singers who had Pop music crossover success in the 70s and 80s whose careers slowed down to make way for artists like [[Garth Brooks]] and [[Clint Black]]. After Casablanca Records closed down, Davis recorded for a short period of time with [[MCA Records]] in the mid 1980s. In 1990, he gained attention when he helped write the hit song for [[Dolly Parton]] called "[[White Limozeen]]". That same year, he also was on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], performing in the show ''The Will Rogers Follies''. Mac Davis was inducted into the [[Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in June 2006. Davis is honored by the naming of Mac Davis Lane at Avenue O in his native Lubbock, which he still visits on occasion. He now describes the [[golf]] course as his office. ==Some famous quotes== * "Elvis was just like a big old kid. It was like he never got past 19, I don't think, in a lotta ways." * "Don't Cry Daddy" is a pretty sad song. He got to the end of it and it was just real quiet when Elvis says, I'm gonna cut that someday for my daddy. And, by God he did. He lived up to his word." ==Discography== ===Selected hit singles=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! '''Year''' !! '''Single''' !! '''Album''' !! <small> U.S. Country </small> !! <small> U.S. Pop </small> |- | 1970 || "I'll Paint You a Song" || ''Mac Davis'' || 68 || - |- | 1970 || "Whoever Finds This I Love You" || ''Song Painter'' || 43 || 53 |- | 1971 || "Beginning to Feel the Pain" || ''Mac Davis'' || - || 92 |- | 1972 || "[[Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me]]" || ''Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me'' || 26 || 1 |- | 1972 || "Everybody Loves a Love Song" || ''Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me'' || - || 63 |- | 1973 || "Dream Me Home" || ''Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me'' || 47 || 73 |- | 1974 || "One Hell of a Woman" || ''Stop and Smell the Roses'' || - || 11 |- | 1974 || "[[Stop and Smell the Roses (song)|Stop and Smell the Roses]]" || ''Stop and Smell the Roses'' || 40 || 9 |- | 1975 || "Burnin' Thing" || ''Greatest Hits'' || 31 || 53 |- | 1975 || "Rock'N Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" || ''All the Love In the World'' || 29 || 15 |- | 1976 || "Forever Lovers" || ''Forever Lovers'' || 17 || 76 |- | 1978 || "Music In My Life" || ''Fantasy'' || 92 || - |- | 1980 || "It's Hard to Be Humble" || ''It's Hard to Be Humble'' || 10 || 43 |- | 1980 || "Let's Keep It That Way" || ''It's Hard to Be Humble'' || 10 || - |- | 1981 || "Texas In My Rearview Mirror" || ''Texas In My Rearview Mirror'' || 9 || 51 |- | 1981 || "Hooked on Music" || ''Texas In My Rearview Mirror'' || 2 || - |- | 1981 || "Secrets" || ''Texas In My Rearview Mirror'' || 47 || 76 |- | 1982 || "Rodeo Clown" || ''Texas In My Rearview Mirror'' || 37 || - |- | 1982 || "You're My Bestest Friend" || ''Midnight Crazy'' || 5 || - |- | 1984 || "Most of All" || ''Soft Talk'' || 41 || - |- | 1985 || "I Feel the Country Callin' Me" || ''Till I Made It With You'' || 34 || - |- | 1985 || "I Never Made Love (Till I Made It With You)" || ''Till I Made It With You'' || 10 || - |- | 1986 || "Sexy Young Girl" || ''Till I Made It With You'' || 46 || - |} ===Selected albums=== {| class="wikitable" |- ! '''Year''' !! '''Album''' !! '''U.S. Country''' |- | 1970 || ''Song Painter'' || 35 |- | 1972 || ''Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me'' || 27 |- | 1973 || ''Mac Davis'' || 19 |- | 1974 || ''Stop and Smell the Roses'' || 2 |- | 1975 || ''All the Love In the World'' || 6 |- | 1975 || ''Burnin' Thing'' || 9 |- | 1976 || ''Forever Lovers'' || 11 |- | 1977 || ''Thunder In the Afternoon'' || 38 |- | 1978 || ''Fantasy'' || 43 |- | 1980 || ''Greatest Hits'' || 44 |- | 1980 || ''It's Hard to Be Humble'' || 3 |- | 1981 || ''Texas In My Rearview Mirror'' || 12 |- | 1982 || ''Midnight Crazy'' || 19 |- | 1985 || ''Till I Made It With You'' || 48 |- | 2000 || ''Country Spotlight'' || - |- | 2000 || ''The Best'' || - |} ==Selected filmography== Mac Davis played small roles in the following TV shows and movies: * 1979: ''[[North Dallas Forty]]'' * 1979: ''Kenny Rogers and the American Cowboy'' * 1980: ''Cheaper to Keep Her'' * 1983: ''STING II'' - Lead role opposite Jackie Gleason * 1995: ''[[Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' * 1996: ''Daytona Beach'' * 1998: ''Possums'' - Lead * 2000: ''[[That 70s Show]]'' * 2004: ''[[8 Simples Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter]]'' * 2004-2005: ''[[Rodney]]'' * 2008: ''[[Beer for My Horses]]'' ==Sources== * ''Country Music:The Rough Guide; Wolff, Kurt; Penguin Publishing'' * All Music Guide ==External links== * {{imdb|0205067}} * [http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_mac_davis.shtml Interview with Mac Davis] * [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:et8uaknk5m3n~T1 Mac Davis biography at the All Music Guide website] {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Mac}} [[Category:American country singers]] [[Category:American male singers]] [[Category:American songwriters]] [[Category:American film actors]] [[Category:American stage actors]] [[Category:Hollywood Walk of Fame]] [[Category:People from Lubbock, Texas]] [[Category:Lubbock High School alumni]] [[Category:1942 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Jamie Records artists|Davis, Mac]] [[Category:Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees]] [[pt:Mac Davis]] [[fi:Mac Davis]]