Bill Mack
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
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
- Country Music DJ Hall of Fame , 1982
- Texas Country Music Hall of Fame , 1999
- Texas Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame , 1999
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
- Bill Mack at Discogs (English)
- Bill Mack on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
- Discography with audio samples
- official website
Individual evidence
- ↑ globaldogproductions.info
- ↑ rcs-discography.com
- ↑ Matthew Leimkuehler: Bill Mack, 'Blue' songwriter and famed country radio broadcaster, dies at age 88. Retrieved August 25, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ 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 |