Mac Davis, Country Music Star And Grammy-Nominated Song Writer Dead At 78

Mac Davis, country music singer, prolific songwriter, television series host and actor, has passed away following heart surgery. He was 78.

Goodbye, Mac Davis

A statement released by Davis’s business manager and close personal friend, Jim Morey, read in part, “He was surrounded by the love of his life and wife of 38 years, Lise, and his sons Scott, Noah and Cody.”

Davis’s initial claim to fame was supplying recording artist Elvis Presley with a plethora of chart-topping hits including Memories, Don’t Cry Daddy, and In the Ghetto. Having revived The King’s sagging career, he then turned his attentions to providing other performers, such as Kenny Rogers and Bobby Goldsboro, with equally successful singles.

Davis subsequently embarked on a singing career all his own, and, thanks to a string of country and crossover hits – including the Grammy-nominated ditty Baby, Don’t Get Hooked On Me and the ultra-popular I Believe In Music – he was able to successfully segue into the acting field.

For two years, Davis hosted his own eponymous variety series, and from there, he continued to add to his resume. He made his feature film debut in the Nick Nolte vehicle North Dallas Forty and critical acclaim resulted in his being named one of 12 Promising New Actors of 1979 by Screen World Magazine.

His other performing endeavors include the films Cheaper to Keep Her and The Sting II, the lead role in The Will Rogers Follies (a Broadway production), and guest appearances on The Muppet Show, Webster, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

For his contributions to the music industry, Davis has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well as induction into both the national Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Entertainment Hub sends our sincerest condolences to Mac Davis’s family and friends during this difficult time.