Mel Tillis
American country music legend Mel Tillis wrote around 1,000 songs and achieved
success first as a songwriter with several 1950s and '60s hits recorded by other
artists until he broke through as a singer in '69. His sturdy baritone voice and
old-fashioned approach to lyrics and melodies combined with the comedy that he
mined from a pronounced stutter when he spoke endeared him to audiences
nationwide. Named Entertainer of the Year by the Country Music Association in
1976, he had 74 singles on the Billboard Country Song Chart including 36 top ten
hits and six that went to number on...
