Morris Mac Davis (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 artist and writing for Elvis Presley during his early career, providing him with the hits "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.

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. Davis also worked for the Vee Jay record company (home to such R&B stars as Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, and Dee Clark) as a regional manager and later became a regional manager for Liberty Records. Davis left Boots Enterprises in 1970 to sign with Columbia Records, taking all of his songs with him. 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

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.

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 in Los Angeles as its last song before it switched from Top 40 to Country music. 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)".

Acting career

From 1974 to 1976, Davis had his own television variety show on NBC, The Mac Davis Show. and was listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1979" by Screen World magazine.

In 1980, Davis guest-starred on an episode of The Muppet Show. He performed "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me", "It's Hard To Be Humble", and "I Believe in Music".

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.

In 1998, Davis starred in the sports comedy 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.

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. They married in 1983 when she was 25, and they had two children, Noah Claire and Cody Luke. They remained married until Davis' death at age 78 on September 29, 2020, following heart surgery.

Discography

Filmography

{| 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 || 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 || Wilbur "Will" Clark ||

|-

| 1999 || Angel's Dance || Norman ||

|-

| 2000 || The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood || The Balladeer || TV movie

|-

| 2001 || Murder, She Wrote: The Last Free Man || Sheriff Underwood || TV movie

|-

| 2001 || Jackpot || Sammy Bones ||

|-

| 2003 || Where the Red Fern Grows || Hod Bellington ||

|-

| 2004 || True Vinyl || Frank Thompson ||

|-

| 2005 || The Wendell Baker Story || Agent Buck ||

|-

| 2008 || Beer for My Horses || Reverend J.D. Parker ||

|-

| 2017 || Where the Fast Lane Ends || Big Jack ||

|-

|}

Television

{| 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 || Himself (Guest Star) || Season 2, Episode 4

|-

| 1973 || 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 || Uncle Jake Tyler || Episode: "Almost Home"

|-

| 1986 || Tall Tales & Legends || Davy Crockett || Episode: "Davy Crockett"

|-

| 1987 || Dolly || Himself (Guest Star) || Episode: "A Down Home Country Christmas"

|-

| 1993 || 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 || 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 || 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 || Carl || 13 episodes

|-

| 2019 || Dolly Parton's Heartstrings || Reverend Riggs || Episode: "J.J. Sneed"

|-

|}

References

Bibliography

  • Wolff, Kurt. The Rough Guide to Country Music. Penguin Publishing.
  • Nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com
  • Songwritershalloffame.org
  • Interview with Mac Davis