25 Facts About Mel Tillis

Lonnie Melvin Tillis was an American country music singer and songwriter.

Mel Tillis won the Country Music Association Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year.

Mel Tillis was a member of the Grand Ole Opry, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Country Music Hall of Fame.

Mel Tillis's parents were Burma and Lonnie Lee Tillis.

Mel Tillis attended the University of Florida, but he dropped out and joined the United States Air Force.

Mel Tillis used his railroad pass to visit Nashville and eventually met and auditioned for Wesley Rose of the publishing house Acuff-Rose Music.

Mel Tillis eventually moved to Tennessee, and began writing songs full-time.

Mel Tillis wrote the hits "I Ain't Never" and "Crazy, Wild Desire".

Mel Tillis wrote for Charley Pride and wrote "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town", which was a hit for Kenny Rogers and The First Edition.

Mel Tillis wrote the hit "Mental Revenge" for outlaw country star Waylon Jennings.

In 1968, Mel Tillis achieved his first Top 10 hit with "Who's Julie".

Mel Tillis was a regular featured singer on The Porter Wagoner Show.

Mel Tillis finally achieved the success he always wanted with two Top 10 country hits, "These Lonely Hands of Mine" and "She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere".

In 1972, Mel Tillis achieved his first chart-topper with his version of his song "I Ain't Never".

Mel Tillis achieved his biggest success with MCA Records, with which he signed in 1976.

Thanks to this success, in 1976 Mel Tillis won the Country Music Association Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame that year.

Mel Tillis achieved another No 1 in 1978 with "I Believe In You" and then again in 1979 with "Coca-Cola Cowboy", which was put in the Clint Eastwood movie Every Which Way but Loose, in which he made a cameo appearance.

In mid-1979, Mel Tillis switched to another record company, Elektra Records.

Until 1981, Mel Tillis remained on top of his game as one of country music's most successful vocalists of the era.

Mel Tillis remained with Elektra until 1982 before switching back to MCA for a brief period in 1983.

In 1979, Mel Tillis acquired radio station KIXZ in Amarillo, Texas, from Sammons-Ruff Associates, which converted from Top 40 to country music and became a force in the Texas Panhandle region.

Mel Tillis appeared as the television commercial spokesman for the fast-food restaurant chain Whataburger during the 1980s.

Mel Tillis briefly signed with RCA Records, as well as Mercury Records, and later Curb Records in 1991.

Mel Tillis built a theater in Branson, Missouri, where he performed on a regular basis until 2002.

Mel Tillis was inducted into the Opry by his daughter Pam.