Singer/songwriter Mac Davis died on Sept. 29 at age 78 following heart surgery.
The announcement was made by Mac’s long-time manager and friend Jim Morey, who said Mac was surrounded by family at the time of his passing.
“Mac Davis has been my client for over 40 years, and more importantly, my best friend,” Morey said. “He was a music legend, but his most important work was that as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. I will miss laughing about our many adventures on the road and his insightful sense of humor.”
During Mac’s five-decade career, his songs were recorded by Elvis Presley, Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Bruno Mars, Glen Campbell, Tammy Wynette, Avicii, Andy Williams, Conway Twitty, Tom Jones, Johnny Cash, Bobby Blue Bland, Merle Haggard and O.C. Smith.
In addition to penning Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto,” “Don’t Cry Daddy,” “A Little Less Conversation” and more, Mac charted dozens of his own country tunes in the ’70s and ’80s, including the No. 1 pop hit, “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me.” With good looks and a charming manner, Mac was a natural for TV and landed his own variety show, The Mac Davis Show, which ran from 1974 to 1976. He also starred as an actor in a number of films and television shows, including North Dallas Forty and on Broadway’s The Will Rogers Follies.
In 1974, Mac earned the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year award. Mac was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2015, Broadcast Music Inc. honored Mac’s prolific songwriting career with the BMI Icon Award. Mac was also a member of the national Songwriters Hall of Fame, Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. He was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.
Mac is survived by his loving wife of 38 years, Lise, sons Scott, Noah and Cody, daughters-in-law, Tammy, Amy and Cassia, granddaughter Lindsey, mother Edith, and sister Linda.
