Bill Mack

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Bill Mack (born June 4, 1932 as Bill Mack Smith in Shamrock , Texas , † July 31, 2020 ) was an American country and rockabilly singer, songwriter and disc jockey . He was also one of the most successful radio hosts in the USA.

Life

Beginnings

Bill Mack formed his first band during his school days. After graduating from West Texas State College, he worked as a radio host and disc jockey at KEVA radio station. At the age of 19 he was news director at KLYN in Amarillo and hosted the television program Big Six Jamboree on KLYN-TV. In 1951 he got a record deal with Imperial Records .

Career

Somewhere Between (with Wanda Conklin)

His first singles appeared there in 1951 with Crazy Baby Booogie (Imperial 8114) and Mama Don't Lock the Door (Imperial 8118), followed by other particularly numerous single releases for Imperial, including in 1952 with the uptempo number Play My Boogie (Imperial 8174). Shortly before, he had auditioned for Bill Carlisle , with whom he played a number of times in the Grand Ole Opry . In 1956 he signed with Starday Records ; there he continued to release fast rockabilly titles like Cat Just Got Into Town and Kitty Kat . In the same year he found a job with the radio station KWFT in Wichita Falls.

For the next few years he moderated on numerous radio stations and continued to record, including United Artists , D Records , Kapp Records and MGM . He appeared on various television shows and hosted the nationally broadcast radio show Open-Road . Mack also had success as a songwriter ; his songs have been recorded by stars like Dean Martin , Ray Price , Jerry Lee Lewis and George Jones . His composition Blue from 1959 was LeAnn Rimes' first hit and helped her breakthrough. The song received a Grammy .

Bill Mack died in July 2020 at the age of 88 of COVID-19 related to previous illnesses.

Awards

Selection discography

year title # Remarks
Imperial Records
1951 Crazy Baby Boogie / Wedding Blues 8114 Shellac records; on vinyl with the prefix '45 - '
1951 Mama Don't Lock the Door / Oh, How It Hurts Me 8118
1952 I'm Missin 'a Lot of Lovin' / Cried All the Way Home 8145
1952 Big Bad Daddy / It's Your Turn to Cry 8151
1952 Jole Blon on the Farm / Oh Please Blue Moon 8158
1952 I Still Dream About You / Change Your Name 8162
1952 Ain't It a Shame / When the Sun Goes Down 8167
1952 Play My Boogie / Memories and Tears 8174
1953 That's What I Get For Lovin 'You / Forever I'll Wait For You 8192
1953 I'm Not Free / I'm Talking to You 8200
1953 That's the Way I Love You / I'll Still Be Waiting 8212
1954 That's How I Feel / I Love You All Over Again 8225
1954 We Waltzed in My Dreams / Crazed for Love 8242
1954 Sue Suzie Boogie / She's Found Somebody New 8278
1955 A Fool for You / It's Just Like a Dream Come True 8294
Starday Records
1956 Fat Woman / Kitty Cat 45-231
1956 Cat Just Got into Town / Sweet Dreams Baby 45-252
1957 It's Saturday Night / That's Why I Cry 45-280
1957 Cheatin 'in Your Mind / Million Miles Away 45-313
1958 Faded Rose / Blue 45-360
1959 Long Long Train / I'll Still Be Here Tomorrow 45-418
1959 Johnny's Gal Frankie / Loneliest Fool in Town 45-453
D records
1960 I'll Come Back / John's Back in Town 1125
1961 Waiting for the river to rise / the smoke, the bottle, the wine 1176
Charay Records
1965 San Antonio Rose / Blue Jean C-18
Hickory Records
1970 Somewhere Between / And Still You Stand By Me 45-K-1586 A-side with Wanda Conklin

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ globaldogproductions.info
  2. ↑ rcs-discography.com
  3. ↑ Matthew Leimkuehler: Bill Mack, 'Blue' songwriter and famed country radio broadcaster, dies at age 88. Retrieved August 25, 2020 (American English).
  4. ↑ Texas Midnight Cowboy dies at COVID 19. In: star-telegram.com. August 24, 2020, accessed on August 25, 2020 .
personal data
SURNAME Mack, Bill
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Bill Mack (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American presenter and musician
DATE OF BIRTH June 4, 1932
PLACE OF BIRTH Shamrock , Texas
DATE OF DEATH July 31, 2020