Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
m →Legacy and Posthumous Recognition: Removed/fixed author parameter(s) to remove article from Category:CS1 errors: generic name & general fixes (references may need additional manual fixes) |
||
| (687 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown) | |||
Line 1:
{{short description|American songwriter, singer and actor (1942–2020)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Mac Davis
| image = Mac Davis.jpg
| caption = Davis performing at the<br/>[[Alabama Music Hall of Fame]] Concert in 2010
| birth_name = Morris Mac Davis
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1942|1|21}}
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2020|9|29|1942|1|21}}
| death_place = [[Nashville, Tennessee]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Lubbock, Texas]], U.S.
| occupations = Singer-songwriter, actor
| instrument = Vocals, guitar
| genre = [[Country music|Country]], pop
| years_active = 1962–2020
| label = [[Columbia Records|Columbia]], [[Casablanca Records|Casablanca]], [[MCA Records|MCA]]
| module = {{Infobox person
| embed = yes
| burial_place = City of Lubbock Cemetery, [[Lubbock, Texas]], U.S.
}}
}}
'''Morris Mac Davis'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/Site/inductee?entry_id=1495|title=Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame - Mac Davis|website=Nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com|access-date=21 October 2021}}</ref> (January 21, 1942 – September 29, 2020) was an American songwriter, singer, performer, and actor. A native of [[Lubbock, Texas]], he enjoyed success as a [[Crossover (music)|crossover]] artist<ref name="Larkin">{{cite book| title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music| editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|editor-first=Colin| editor-last=Larkin| publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]| date=May 27, 2011| edition=5th Concise| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&q=davis%2C+mac| isbn= 978-0857125958| pages=344–345}}</ref> and writing for [[Elvis Presley]] during his early career, providing him with the hits "[[Memories (Elvis Presley song)|Memories]]", "[[In the Ghetto]]", "[[Don't Cry Daddy]]", and "[[A Little Less Conversation]]". A subsequent solo career in the 1970s produced hits such as "[[Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me]]". Davis also starred in his own variety show, a Broadway musical, and various films and TV shows.<ref name="Newman">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/country/9457389/mac-davis-dead |title=COUNTRY: Mac Davis, Iconic Artist & Elvis Songwriter, Dies at 78 |date=September 30, 2020 |first1=Melinda |last1=Newman |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=September 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Ososeje">{{cite news |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/30/entertainment/mac-davis-dead-intl-scli/index.html |title=Mac Davis, Elvis songwriter and country star, dead at 78 |first1=Toyin |last1=Owoseje |publisher=[[CNN]] |date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=September 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Wood">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2020-09-30/mac-davis-elvis-songwriter-70s-solo-star-dies |title=Mac Davis, hit songwriter for Elvis Presley and '70s solo star, dies at 78 |first1=Mikael |last1=Wood |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=September 30, 2020}}</ref><ref name="Moore"/>
== Biography ==
=== Early life ===
Davis was born and raised in [[Lubbock, Texas]] as the son of Edith Irene (Lankford) and T. J. Davis, a building contractor.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hZQYAAAAIAAJ&q=%22+T.+J.+Davis,+a+builder,+and+Edith+%22 |title=Mac Davis |encyclopedia=Current Biography Yearbook |volume=41 |first1=Maxine |last1=Block |first2=Anna Herthe |last2=Rothe |first3=Marjorie Dent |last3=Candee |publisher=[[H. W. Wilson Company]] |year=1981}}</ref>
===Career as a songwriter===
Once Davis was settled in Atlanta, he organized a [[rock and roll]] group called the Zots, and made two singles for OEK Records, managed and promoted by OEK owner Oscar Kilgo.<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/>
<ref>{{cite news |first=William |last=Kerns |url=http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/030208/loc_252890600.shtml |title=Mac Davis remembers his days in Lubbock |newspaper=[[Lubbock Avalanche-Journal]] |date=March 2, 2008 |access-date=April 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814045935/http://lubbockonline.com/stories/030208/loc_252890600.shtml |archive-date=August 14, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Davis also worked for the [[Vee Jay]] record company (home to such R&B stars as [[Gene Chandler]], [[Jerry Butler (singer)|Jerry Butler]], and [[Dee Clark]]) as a regional manager and later became a regional manager for [[Liberty Records]].<ref name="Larkin"/>
[[Image:Mac Davis Lane, Lubbock, TX IMG 0194.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Mac Davis Lane intersects Avenue Q ([[U.S. Highway 84]]) in Davis's hometown of [[Lubbock, Texas|Lubbock]].]]
Davis became famous as a songwriter and got his start as an employee of [[Nancy Sinatra]]'s company, Boots Enterprises, Inc. Davis was with Boots for several years in the late 1960s. During his time there, he played on many of Sinatra's recordings, and she worked him into her stage shows. Boots Enterprises also acted as Davis's publishing company, publishing songs such as "In the Ghetto", "Friend, Lover, Woman, Wife", "Home", and "[[Memories (Elvis Presley song)|Memories]]", which were recorded by [[Elvis Presley]], [[Nancy Sinatra]], [[B. J. Thomas]] and many others. During a short timespan Davis used the pseudonym "Scott Davis" for songwriting purposes (borrowing from the given name of his son) to avoid confusion with songwriter [[Mack David]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.elvisinfonet.com/interview_mac_davis.html|title=Elvis Information Network - Mac Davis Interview|publisher=elvisinfonet.com|access-date=21 October 2021}}</ref> Davis left Boots Enterprises in 1970 to sign with [[Columbia Records]], taking all of his songs with him.<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/>
One of the songs he wrote in 1968, called "A Little Less Conversation", was recorded by Elvis Presley (and became a posthumous success for Presley years later). Presley also recorded Davis's "In the Ghetto" in sessions in Memphis. Mac Davis eventually recorded the tune after Presley's version became a success, and was released in a Ronco In Concert compilation in 1975. Presley continued to record more of Davis's material, such as "Memories", "Don't Cry Daddy", and "Clean Up Your Own Backyard". [[Bobby Goldsboro]] also recorded some of Davis's songs, including "[[Watching Scotty Grow]]",<ref name="Larkin"/> which became a No. 1 [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary]] success for Goldsboro in 1971. Other artists who recorded his material included [[Vikki Carr]], [[O.C. Smith]], and [[Kenny Rogers]] and [[The First Edition (band)|The First Edition]]. "I Believe in Music", often considered to be Davis's [[signature song]], was recorded by several artists (including Marian Love, B.J. Thomas, [[Louis Jordan]], [[Perry Como]], [[Helen Reddy]], [[Lynn Anderson]], and Davis himself) before it finally became a success in 1972 for the group [[Gallery (band)|Gallery]].<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/>
During the 1970s, many of his songs "crossed over", successfully scoring on both the country and popular music charts, including "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me"<ref name="Larkin"/> (a number one Grammy-nominated success), "[[One Hell of a Woman]]" (pop no. 11), and "[[Stop and Smell the Roses (song)|Stop and Smell the Roses]]" (a no. 9 pop hit).<ref name="Larkin"/> Also, during the 1970s and 1980s, he was very active as an actor, appearing in several movies, including 1979's ''North Dallas Forty'', as well as hosting a successful variety show. In 2010, Davis co-wrote the song "Time Flies" with Rivers Cuomo which appeared on Weezer's ''Hurley'' album. In 2013 he was part of the Los Angeles writing and producing team that created the hit "Young Girls" for Bruno Mars.<ref>[[Young Girls#Background and writing]]</ref> Davis also wrote and collaborated with the Swedish D.J. and music producer Avicii, penning the song "Addicted to You" for Avicii's debut studio album ''True''. They performed the song "Black and Blue" together at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami in 2013.
=== Success as a singer ===
[[File:Mac Davis DN-ST-87-03194.JPEG|thumb|upright|Davis performing in 1986]]
Davis soon decided to pursue a career of his own as a recording artist. After several years of writing songs for other artists, he was signed by [[Clive Davis]] for Columbia, later topping the Country and Pop charts with the song "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" in 1972. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a gold disc by the Recording Industry Association of America in September 1972 [[Recording Industry Association of America]] in September 1972.<ref name="The Book of Golden Discs">{{cite book| first=Joseph| last=Murrells| year=1978| title=The Book of Golden Discs| edition=2nd| publisher=Barrie and Jenkins Ltd| ___location=London| page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/310 310]| isbn=978-0214204807| url-access=registration| url=https://archive.org/details/bookofgoldendisc00murr/page/310}}</ref>
In 1974, Davis was awarded the [[Academy of Country Music]]'s Entertainer of the Year award. He had other successes including the songs "Stop and Smell the Roses" (a number one Adult Contemporary success in 1974) (pop no. 9), "One Hell of a Woman" (pop no. 11), "[[Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)]]" (pop no. 15), and "Burnin' Thing" (pop no. 53). At the end of the 1970s, he was signed by Neil Bogart and moved to Casablanca Records, which was best known at the time for its successes with disco star Donna Summer and rock'n'roll band Kiss. His first success for the company in 1980 was the novelty song "[[It's Hard to Be Humble]]", a light-hearted look at how popularity and good looks could go to one's head. The song became his first Country music top 10 and a rare top 30 hit in the UK. (It was translated into Dutch as "''Het is moeilijk bescheiden te blijven''" and became a hit for the Dutch singer Peter Blanker in 1981). Later that year, he had another top 10 song with "Let's Keep It That Way" written by Curly Putman and Rafe Van Hoy. In November, "Rock 'N' Roll (I Gave You the Best Years of My Life)" was played by [[KHJ (AM)|KHJ]] in Los Angeles as its last song before it switched from Top 40 to Country music.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://formatchange.com/khj-goes-country/ |title=KHJ Goes Country |date=November 8, 1980 |publisher=Formatchange.com |access-date=August 26, 2015}}</ref> He achieved success with other songs like "Texas in My Rear View Mirror" and "Hooked on Music", which became his biggest Country music success in 1981 going to number 2. In 1985, he recorded his last top 10 country music success with the song "I Never Made Love (Till I Made Love With You)".<ref name="WestTexas"/>
On January 19, 1985, Davis performed "[[God Bless the USA]]" at the 50th Presidential Inaugural Gala, held the day before the [[second inauguration of Ronald Reagan]].<ref name="WestTexas">{{cite web |url=http://westtexasguitar.weebly.com/mac-davis.html#:~:text=On%20January%2019%2C%201985%2C%20Davis,NBC%2C%20The%20Mac%20Davis%20Show. |title=Mac Davis |publisher=West Texas Guitar |access-date=September 30, 2020}}</ref>
=== Acting career ===
From 1974 to 1976, Davis had his own television variety show on [[NBC]], ''The Mac Davis Show''.<ref name="WestTexas"/> He made his feature film debut opposite [[Nick Nolte]] in the [[football (American)|football]] film ''[[North Dallas Forty]]'' (1979)<ref>{{cite news | last = Maslin | first = Janet | title = ''Dallas Forty'': Cynicism and Comedy | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = August 1, 1979 | url = https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940CEED91E38E732A25752C0A96E9C946890D6CF | access-date = 2011-02-23 }}</ref> and was listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1979" by ''[[Screen World]]'' magazine.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
In 1980, Davis hosted an episode of ''[[The Muppet Show]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mac Davis: Episode 110 |url=http://www.kermitage.com/html/epguide/tms/season5/davis.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061031200338/http://www.kermitage.com/html/epguide/tms/season5/davis.html |archive-date=October 31, 2006 |website=The Muppet Show}}</ref> He performed "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me", "It's Hard To Be Humble", and "I Believe in Music".{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
Davis also starred in the 1981 comedy film ''Cheaper To Keep Her'', playing a divorced detective who worked for a neurotic feminist attorney.
In 1983, he appeared in ''[[The Sting II]]'', as Jake Hooker, a younger relative of Johnny Hooker, portrayed by Robert Redford in ''[[The Sting]]''.<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/>
In November 1991, Davis checked into the Betty Ford Clinic, marking the beginning of his commitment to sobriety. Exactly four months later, he performed as [[Will Rogers]] in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] production of ''[[The Will Rogers Follies]]'' at the Palace Theater, noting that it was his first-ever sober performance. Following each show, Davis shared his journey to sobriety and urged anyone battling addiction to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. He continued to play Will Rogers for over a year during the show's national tour.<ref>{{cite news| title=The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue| url=https://variety.com/1993/legit/reviews/the-will-rogers-follies-a-life-in-revue-1200432857/| last=Frym| first=Michael| date=August 30, 1993| newspaper=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]| access-date=April 11, 2020}}</ref>
In 1998, Davis starred in the sports comedy ''[[Possums (film)|Possums]]'', which debuted at the [[Sundance Film Festival]].
Davis served as the balladeer for the 2000 telefilm ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood]]'', replacing [[Don Williams]], who had served the part in 1997's ''The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion!'' and [[Waylon Jennings]], who narrated the original ''[[Dukes of Hazzard]]'' television show. Davis was the first balladeer to appear on-screen to welcome the audience and provide exposition.<ref name="Moore">{{cite web |url=https://www.wideopencountry.com/mac-davis/ |work=Wide Open Country |title=Country Legend Mac Davis Dead at Age 78|first1=Bobby |last1=Moore |date=September 29, 2020}}</ref>
Davis was inducted into the [[Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame]] in 2000. He was awarded a star symbol on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]], located at 7080 [[Hollywood Boulevard]], for his contribution to the recording industry.<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/>
In 2001, Davis played a fellow karaoke competitor to [[Jon Gries]]'s Sunny Holiday in the [[Polish brothers]]' film ''[[Jackpot (2001 film)|Jackpot]]''. In the film, a dispute began between Sunny's manager, played by [[Garrett Morris]], and Davis's character about what song he should sing. The manager suggested Davis's "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me", which Davis's character claimed just was not him.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
From 2001 to 2003, Davis voiced the character of Barber Bingo on two episodes of the animated TV series ''[[Oswald (TV series)|Oswald]]''; "Henry Needs A Haircut" and "The Naughty Cat".{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
Between 1999 and 2006, Davis provided the character voices of Sheriff Buford (two episodes) and a talk radio host named "Sports Jock" (three episodes), on the animated series ''[[King of the Hill]]''.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
Davis also guest-starred briefly in the ''[[8 Simple Rules]]'' episode "Let's Keep Going: Part 2" in April 2004.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
He had a recurring role as Rodney Carrington's father-in-law in the sitcom ''[[Rodney (TV series)|Rodney]]''.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
In 2000, Davis hosted ''Labor of Love'', a live FM radio show for KZLA Los Angeles.
=== Personal life and death ===
At 21, he married Fran Cook from Georgia. Their son, Joel Scott, (the `Scotty' from ''[[Watching Scotty Grow]]'') was born a year later; Davis shifted from playing in rock bands to learning the music business while working in Liberty Records' publishing division.<ref name="Larkin"/> The Liberty job got him to Los Angeles and made it easier to "pitch his own tunes" to record producers. Davis commented, "One day Fran decided to do her own thing and she wanted me to do mine." They divorced and she went back to Atlanta.{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}}
Davis next met Sarah Barg, then 16 and living in his apartment building with her mother. Two years later, they were married. "We talked about having a family, but I was waiting for her to grow up," he says. She left him in 1976 for [[Glen Campbell]], with whom she then had one child, Dillon. She also left Campbell shortly after Dillon's birth.
In 1979, Davis started to date a young nurse, Lise Gerard.<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Buchalter |first=Gail |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20076579,00.html |title=Mac Attack! – Mac Davis |magazine=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=May 26, 1980 |access-date=April 4, 2012}}</ref> They married in 1983 when she was 25, and they had two children, Noah Claire and Cody Luke.<ref name=time>{{cite news |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951839,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101015061047/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,951839,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 15, 2010 |title=Milestones |date=September 13, 1982 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=April 4, 2012}}</ref> They remained married until Davis' death at age 78 on September 29, 2020, following heart surgery.<ref name="Newman"/><ref name="Ososeje"/><ref name="Wood"/>
<ref>{{cite web|first=Angela|last=Stefano|title='In The Ghetto' Songwriter Mac Davis Dead At 78|url=https://tasteofcountry.com/mac-davis-dead-dies/|website=Taste of Country|access-date=September 30, 2020 |date=September 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Hall |first=Kristin M. |url=https://apnews.com/article/music-lubbock-nashville-mac-davis-buddy-holly-dc9b2055cb8979289866fd573ac09bdb |title=Country star and hit Elvis songwriter Mac Davis dies at 78 |website=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 30, 2020 |access-date=September 30, 2020}}</ref>
=== Legacy and Posthumous Recognition ===
Following Davis’s death in late September 2020, numerous tributes and honors celebrated his influence. Many artists mourned his passing. [[Dolly Parton]] hailed Davis as “one of the world’s greatest writers, singers, and entertainers” in a heartfelt statement,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-10-01 |title=Dolly Parton Tributes Mac Davis: 'I Will Always Love You' |url=https://tasteofcountry.com/dolly-parton-tributes-one-of-my-dearest-friends-mac-davis-i-will-always-love-you/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Taste of Country |language=en}}</ref> and [[Kenny Chesney]] remembered him as a “songwriting hero” who welcomed younger artists with support.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hudak |first=Joseph |date=2020-09-30 |title=Mac Davis, Country Singer and Elvis Presley Songwriter, Dead at 78 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/mac-davis-elvis-presley-dead-obit-1067998/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Rolling Stone Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref> At the 54th Annual [[Country Music Association Awards|CMA Awards]] in November 2020, hosts [[Reba McEntire]] and [[Darius Rucker]] performed Davis’s signature song “In the Ghetto” in an on-air tribute to him.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker debut 'In the Ghetto' collaboration at 2020 CMA Awards |url=https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/reba-mcentire-darius-rucker-debut-ghetto-collaboration-2020/story?id=74157315 |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=ABC News |language=en}}</ref> The pair had recorded a duet version of the song shortly after Davis’s death, underscoring the enduring impact of his songwriting. Earlier that fall, Vince Gill also honored Davis by singing “In the Ghetto” on the stage of the [[Grand Ole Opry]] shortly after news of his death.<ref>{{Cite web |title=In the Ghetto |url=https://www.newcountry1015.com/tag/in-the-ghetto/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=New Country 101-FIVE |language=en-US}}</ref>
In 2023, Davis’s estate (Mac Davis Enterprises) launched a charitable initiative called “Song Painter: The Mac Davis Fund for the Art of Songwriting.<ref name="Hollabaugh">{{Cite web |last=Hollabaugh |first=Lorie |date=2023-10-06 |title=Mac Davis' Legacy Honored With New Song Painter Fund |url=https://musicrow.com/2023/10/mac-davis-legacy-honored-with-new-song-painter-fund-2/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=MusicRow.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Established to honor Davis’s legacy (and named after his 1970 debut album ''Song Painter''), the fund’s mission is to promote greater appreciation for the craft of songwriting and to support emerging and underrepresented songwriters . The fund was spearheaded by Davis’s widow, Lisë Davis, and is administered by the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Song Painter: The Mac Davis Fund for the Art of Songwriting |url=https://www.cfmt.org/funds/songpainter/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee |language=en-US}}</ref> Programs under the Song Painter Fund include workshops, grants, and music education initiatives designed to foster creative talent in songwriting, reflecting causes and ideals that were dear to Davis during his life . The launch of the fund drew support from many of Davis’s peers; for example, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire both praised his prolific songwriting and voiced support for nurturing the next generation of songwriters in his honor.<ref name="Hollabaugh"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-18 |title=Song Painter: The Mac Davis Fund for the Art of Songwriting Announces Major Grant Distribution in Honor of Mac Davis' Birthday – Mac Davis |url=https://macdavis.com/2024/01/18/song-painter-the-mac-davis-fund-for-the-art-of-songwriting-announces-major-grant-distribution-in-honor-of-mac-davis-birthday/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |language=en-US}}</ref>
Davis’s songwriting continued to reach audiences through new projects. In 2025, British singer-songwriter [[Coyle Girelli]] announced ''Out of This Town'', an album composed of songs written by or co-written with Mac Davis.<ref name="Benitez-Eves">{{Cite web |last=Benitez-Eves |first=Tina |date=2025-07-11 |title=Coyle Girelli Revisits Songs Written With Legendary Songwriter Mac Davis on 'Out of This Town,' Shares “Everyone But Me And You |url=https://americansongwriter.com/coyle-girelli-revives-songs-by-legendary-songwriter-mac-davis/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=American Songwriter |language=en-US}}</ref> Girelli and Davis had begun collaborating on a duets album before Davis’s passing, leaving behind a collection of demos and unfinished songs. ''Out of This Town'' was completed from that material as a posthumous tribute and is slated for release on August 29, 2025 through Sun Records. The 12-track album features Girelli alongside guest artists like [[KT Tunstall]], [[Jaime Wyatt]], and Cassandra Lewis, performing both new co-written compositions and a few of Davis’s unreleased originals.<ref name="Benitez-Eves"/> Notably, the album includes two versions of the song “I Wanna Make Love”, one being a home demo recording by Mac Davis himself (his vocal captured via a phone recording), which stands as one of the last original recordings of Davis to be released.<ref name="Benitez-Eves"/> The project has been described as a multi-generational collaboration that honors Davis’s legacy; Girelli noted that Davis had even praised his voice as reminiscent of [[Roy Orbison]] and entrusted him to bring these songs to the world. Upon announcement of ''Out of This Town'', industry press highlighted the significance of Davis’s songwriting enduring beyond his lifetime, with [[Sun Records]] (the label once home to [[Elvis Presley]] and [[Johnny Cash]]) deeming it a fitting release to carry forward Davis’s “song painter” legacy.
Since 2020, Mac Davis’s work has also reappeared in popular culture and media. In 2022, [[Baz Luhrmann]]’s biographical film ''[[Elvis (2022 film)|Elvis]]'' featured a contemporary remix of “[[In the Ghetto]]” on its soundtrack (titled '''“'''Product of the Ghetto,'''”''' performed by [[Elvis Presley]] & [[Nardo Wick]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Trzcinski |first=Matthew |date=2024-03-08 |title=The Writer of Elvis' 'In the Ghetto' Explained It |url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/writer-elvis-in-the-ghetto-explained.html/ |access-date=2025-08-05 |website=Showbiz Cheat Sheet |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Discography==
{{main|Mac Davis discography}}
==Filmography==
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2020}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 1979 || ''[[North Dallas Forty]]'' || Seth Maxwell ||
|-
| 1981 || ''[[Cheaper to Keep Her (film)|Cheaper to Keep Her]]'' || Bill Dekker ||
|-
| 1983 || ''[[The Sting II]]'' || Jake Hooker ||
|-
| 1985 || ''Brothers-in-Law'' || T.K. "Tom" Kenny || TV movie
|-
| 1988 || ''What Price Victory'' || Jake Ramson || TV movie
|-
| 1991 || ''Blackmail'' || Norm || TV movie
|-
| 1996 || ''[[For My Daughter's Honor]]'' || Norm Dustin || TV movie
|-
| 1998 || ''Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac Jack'' || Clayton || TV movie
|-
| 1998 || ''[[Possums (film)|Possums]]'' || Wilbur "Will" Clark ||
|-
| 1999 || ''[[Angel's Dance]]'' || Norman ||
|-
| 2000 || ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood]]'' || The Balladeer || TV movie
|-
| 2001 || ''[[List of Murder, She Wrote episodes#TV Movies|Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man]]'' || Sheriff Underwood || TV movie
|-
| 2001 || ''[[Jackpot (2001 film)|Jackpot]]'' || Sammy Bones ||
|-
| 2003 || ''[[Where the Red Fern Grows (2003 film)|Where the Red Fern Grows]]'' || Hod Bellington ||
|-
| 2004 || ''True Vinyl'' || Frank Thompson ||
|-
| 2005 || ''[[The Wendell Baker Story]]'' || Agent Buck ||
|-
| 2008 || ''[[Beer for My Horses (film)|Beer for My Horses]]'' || Reverend J.D. Parker ||
|-
| 2017 || ''Where the Fast Lane Ends'' || Big Jack ||
|-
|}
==Television==
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2020}}
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role
! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes
|-
| 1970 || ''[[The Johnny Cash Show]]''<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jackson |first1=Nate |title=Mac Davis, Actor, Country Star and Host of 'The Mac Davis Show,' Dies at 78 |url=https://www.thewrap.com/mac-davis-actor-country-star-and-host-of-the-mac-davis-show-dies-at-78/ |website=[[TheWrap]] |date=30 September 2020}}</ref> || Himself (Guest Star) || Season 2, Episode 4
|-
| 1973 || ''[[The Midnight Special (TV series)|The Midnight Special]]'' || Himself (Guest Host - Performer) || Season 1, Episode 3
|-
| 1974–1976 || ''The Mac Davis Show'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV variety show (35 episodes)
|-
| 1975 || ''The Mac Davis Special'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1975 || ''The Mac Davis Christmas Special'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1976 || ''Mac Davis Christmas Special: When I Grow Up'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1977 || ''Mac Davis: Sounds Like Home'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1977 || ''Mac Davis: I Believe in Christmas'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1978 || ''Mac Davis's Christmas Odyssey: Two Thousand and Ten'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1979 || ''A Christmas Special with Love, Mac Davis'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1980 || ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' || Himself (Guest Star) || Episode: "Mac Davis"
|-
| 1980 || ''Mac Davis 10th Anniversary Special: I Still Believe in Music'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1980 || ''Mac Davis – I'll Be Home for Christmas'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1981 || ''The Mac Davis Christmas Special'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1983 || ''The Mac Davis Special: The Music of Christmas'' || Himself (Host – Performer) || TV special
|-
| 1986 || ''[[Webster (TV series)|Webster]]'' || Uncle Jake Tyler || Episode: "Almost Home"
|-
| 1986 || ''[[Tall Tales & Legends]]'' || [[Davy Crockett]] || Episode: "Davy Crockett"
|-
| 1987 || ''[[Dolly (1987 TV series)|Dolly]]'' || Himself (Guest Star) || Episode: "A Down Home Country Christmas"
|-
| 1993 || ''[[The Beverly Hillbillies|The Legend of the Beverly Hillbillies]]'' || Himself (Host) || TV special
|-
| 1995 || ''[[Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman]]'' || Larry Smiley || Episode: "Just Say Noah"
|-
| 1995–1996 || ''[[The Client (TV series)|The Client]]'' || Waldo Gaines || 3 episodes
|-
| 1996 || ''Daytona Beach'' || Reese Elliot || TV pilot episode
|-
| 1999 || ''Chicken Soup for the Soul'' || Sheriff Riley || Episode: "It's Never Too Late"
|-
| 1999–2006 || ''[[King of the Hill]]'' || Sheriff Mumord / Sports Jock (voice) || 5 episodes
|-
| 2000 || ''[[That '70s Show]]'' || St. Peter || Episode: "Holy Crap"
|-
| 2000 || ''The Prosecutors: In Pursuit of Justice'' || Reenactment Actor || Episode: "The Bone Yard"
|-
| 2001–2003 || ''[[Oswald (TV series)|Oswald]]'' || Barber Bingo (voice) || 2 episodes
|-
| 2004 || ''[[8 Simple Rules]]'' || Guitar Player || Episode: "Let's Keep Going: Part 2"
|-
| 2004 || ''[[Johnny Bravo]]'' || Bee Bearded Man / Troubadour (voice) || 2 episodes
|-
| 2004–2006 || ''[[Rodney (TV series)|Rodney]]'' || Carl || 13 episodes
|-
| 2019 || ''[[Dolly Parton's Heartstrings (TV series)|Dolly Parton's Heartstrings]]'' || Reverend Riggs || Episode: "J.J. Sneed"
|-
|}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==Bibliography==
*Wolff, Kurt. ''The Rough Guide to Country Music''. Penguin Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1858285344}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{discogs artist}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110516233805/http://www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com/d-g/mac-davis.aspx Nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150210175521/http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/exhibits/C350 Songwritershalloffame.org]
*[http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_mac_davis.shtml Interview with Mac Davis]
*{{AllMusic}}
*{{IMDb name}}
{{Mac Davis}}
{{Academy of Country Music Award for Entertainer of the Year}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Mac}}
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:2020 deaths]]
[[Category:American country rock singers]]
[[Category:American country singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male singer-songwriters]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:Jamie Records artists]]
[[Category:Lubbock High School alumni]]
[[Category:Actors from Lubbock, Texas]]
[[Category:Musicians from Lubbock, Texas]]
[[Category:Singer-songwriters from Texas]]
[[Category:Vee-Jay Records artists]]
[[Category:Country musicians from Texas]]
| |||