From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Aug 8, 2002  1:17 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Mel Tillis
 
MEL TILLIS (By Shaun Mather)

Born Lonnie Melvin Tillis, 8 August 1932, Tampa, Florida

Country vocalist / songwriter / actor.
Mel Tillis is an intriguing character who has been part of the country music
industry for half a century despite never really being mentioned in the same
breath as such legends as Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings or Hank Williams.
And neither should he be. Having said that he's made many fine records and
written some stunning songs like "Honky Tonk Song", "Ruby, Don't Take
Your Love to Town" and "Detroit City" to mention a few. Despite a terrible
speech impediment which gave him the nickname Stutterin' Boy he moved to
Nashville to try his luck as an entertainer. He found little success as a
writer or performer and soon returned to Florida. In 1957, Webb Pierce
reached number three with Tillis' composition "I'm Tired," which earned him
a songwriting contract with Pierce's Cedarwood Music. Pierce also scored
big with "Honky Tonk Song". Tillis tried his hand at rock 'n' roll, cutting
a great rockabilly in "Teenage Wedding". In 1958 he had his first hit with
"The Violet and a Rose" and "Finally" was a hit the following year. It was
still as a songwriter that he was making his mark with Pierce regularly
benefiting from his pen, hitting with "I Ain't Never", "No Love Have I",
"Crazy Wild Desire" and "Sawmill." Also covering Tillis' songs were Bobby
Bare ("Detroit City"), Ray Price ("One More Time," "Burning Memories,"
"Heart Over Mind"), Stonewall Jackson ("Mary Don't You Weep"), and Little
Jimmy Dickens ("The Violet and a Rose," also covered by Wanda Jackson).
In 1962, Tillis released his first LP, Heart Over Mind; a year later, he teamed
with Pierce for the hit "How Come Your Dog Don't Bite Nobody But Me."

The mid-60s were a successful period, scoring with "Wine", "Stateside",
"Life Turned Her That Way" (the title cut from his 1967 album), and his
first Top Ten, 1968's "Who's Julie." His songwriting career continued with
"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" being cut by both Johnny Darrell and
Kenny Rogers & the First Edition and "Mental Revenge" taking the fancy of
Waylon Jennings.
His career reached new heights following 1972's "I Ain't Never" (# 1) and a
series of Top Five smashes like "Neon Rose," "Sawmill," "Midnight, Me and
the Blues," "Stomp Them Grapes" and "Memory Maker." Between 1976 and
1980, he scored five more number ones - "Good Woman Blues," "Heart Healer,"
"I Believe in You," "Coca Cola Cowboy," and "Southern Rains." He also appeared
in a number of films, including 1975's W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (with Burt
Reynolds and Jerry Reed), 1977's The Villain (starring Kirk Douglas and
Arnold Schwarzenegger), Clint Eastwood's Every Which Way But Loose in 1979,
and 1980's all-star Smokey and the Bandit Part II. Just last week I spotted
him in a re-run of Dukes of Hazzard. Even with the advent of New Country he
proved he was still a viable contributor, writing number 1 hits for Ricky
Skaggs ("Honey (Open That Door))" and Randy Travis ("Diggin' Up Bones").
His daughter Pam Tillis has become one of the top females in country music
who is currently working on a tribute album to her father. I love the story
Jerry Lee tells of Mel and a Native American call girl in a hotel room,
celebrating his birthday! His wife and kids fly into town to surprise him.
Well they certainly did, and as Jerry Lee says, "Mel even gave up stuttering
to try and get his wife back!"

Recommended listening:
American Originals - Columbia.
Greatest Hits - Curb.
Melody Maker -Mercury.
Official website: http://www.meltillis.com