Mac Wiseman

Malcolm "Mac" B. Wiseman (* 23. May 1925 near Waynesboro , Virginia ; † 24. February 2019 in Nashville , Tennessee ) was an American country - and bluegrass - singer and guitarist .

Life

In the Shenendoah Valley , where he grew up, he got to know traditional music. In 1944, as the winner of a young talent competition, he became a radio presenter at WSVA in Harrisburg , Virginia. He also performed with Molly O'Day and various local country bands. Later he had his own band. In 1948 he became a founding member of the Foggy Mountain Boys . In 1949 he recorded the single Travelin 'Down This Lonesome Road with Bill Monroe . In the 1950s, Wiseman had his own band again.

In 1951 he was discovered by Dot Records at Louisiana Hayride and got his first own record deal. One of his bigger hits there was Jimmy Brown the Newsboy , which reached number five on Hot Country Songs . During the 1950s he was a regular guest on Red Foley's Ozark Jubilee and gained widespread notoriety through other appearances in shows such as the WSB Barn Dance , the Old Dominion Barn Dance , the Tennessee Barn Dance and the Grand Ole Opry . Wiseman headed the country music division at Dot for a couple of years before moving to Capitol Records in 1962 . There he recorded bluegrass and other country pieces. He played at bluegrass festivals and performed at the WWVA Jamboree in Wheeling , West Virginia in 1965 .

In 1969 Wiseman moved to Nashville and got a contract with RCA Victor . There he also recorded three albums with Lester Flatt . His only hit during this period was If I Had Johnny's Cash and Charley's Pride . From the mid-1970s Wiseman played more and more bluegrass. In 1992 he brought out a documentary on bluegrass called High Lonesome . He was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Honor in 1993.

Discography

Singles

year	title	Remarks
Dot records
1951	Are You Coming Back To Me / Tis Sweet To Be Remembered
1951	I'm A Stranger / Little White Church
1952	Four Walls Around Me / I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand
1952	Dreaming Of A Little Cabin / Georgia Waltz
1952	Lonesome And A Long Way From Home / Never Ending Song Of Love
1952	Georgia Waltz / I Wonder How The Old Folks Are At Home
1952	Fire In My Heart / Going To See My Baby
1953	By The Side Of The Road / Waiting For The Boys
1953	It's Goodbye And So Long To You / Six More Miles
1953	Going Like Wildfire / Shackles And Chains
1953	Don't Let Your Sweet Love Die / You're Sweeter Than The Honey
1953	Crazy Blues / Rainbow In The Valley
1953	I'd Rather Die Young / You'd Better Wake Up	in the same year also appeared on Quality Records
1953	Let Me Borrow Your Heart For Just Tonight / Remembering
1953	Love Letters in the Sand / Waltz You Saved For Me
1954	Dreams Of Mother And Home / Reveilee In Heaven
1954	I Haven't Got The Right To Love You / My Little Home In Tennessee
1954	I Saw Your Face In The Moon / You Can't Judge A Book (By Its Cover)
1954	I Love You Best Of All / Keep On The Sunny Side
1954	Don't Blame It All On Me / I Didn't Know
1954	Little Old Church In The Valley / When I Get The Money Made
1955	Ballad Of Davy Crockett / Danger, Heartbreak Ahead
1955	Kentuckian Song / Wabash Cannonball
1955	I Hear You Knocking / Camptown Races
1956	Meanest Blues In The World / Be Good Baby
1956	One Mint Julep / I'm Waiting For Ships That Never Come In
1957	Step It Up And Go / Sundown
1958	Thinkin 'About You / A Promise Of Things To Come
1960	One Mint Julep / Driftwood On The River
1960	Darling Nelly Gray / There's A Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
1960	Glad Rags / Now That You Have Me (You Don't Want Me)
1961	Dark As A Dungeon / How Can You Forget So Soon
Capitol Records
1962	Footprints In The Snow / Just Outside
1962	Bluegrass Fiesta / What's Gonna Happen To Me
1962	Pistol Packing Preacher / Sing Little Birdie
1963	I Like Good Bluegrass Music / Wildfire
1963	When The Moon Comes Over The Mountain / Your Best Friend And Me
1964	Scene Of The Crime / Tis Sweet To Be Remembered
1964	Heads You Win, Tails I Lose / Old Pair Of Shoes
Wise Records
1966	Bringing Mary Home / Maple Sugar Sweetheart
1966	Ghost Of Bras D'Or / Legend Of The Irish Rebel
Dot records
1966	Just A Baby's Prayer At Twilight / White Silver Sands
1966	Little Bird / This Is Where I Came In
MGM Records
1968	Got Leavin 'On Her Mind / She Simply Left
RCA Victor
1969	It Comes And Goes / I've Got To Catch That Train
1969	Johnny's Cash And Charley's Pride / Mama, Put My Little Shoes Away
1970	Me & Bobby McGee / Ring Of Fire
1970	Things You Have Turned To / Wrinkled, Crinkled, Wadded Dollar Bill
1971	Will You Be Loving Another Man / Jimmie Brown The Newsboy	with Lester Flatt
1971	Blue Birds Are Singing For Me / We'll Meet Again Sweetheart	with Lester Flatt
1971	Little Folks / Sweet Sadness
1972	I'd Rather Live By The Side Of The Road / Sing Little Birdie
1972	Salty Dog Blues / Mama's And Daddy's Little Girl	with Lester Flatt
1972	Me And Your Memory / On The Southbound	with Lester Flatt
1972	On Susan's Floor / Song Of The Wildwood
1973	Eight More Miles To Louisville / Let Time Be Your Friend
1973	Blue Ridge Cabin Home / Waiting For The Boys To Come Home	with Lester Flatt
1973	At The Crossroad / You Can't Go In The Red Playing Bluegrass
1973	It Rains Just The Same In Missouri / Keep On The Sunnyside
CMH Records
1976	Little Blossom /?
1980	Bluebirds Singing For Me / Mother Maybelle	with the Osborne Brothers
RCA Churchill Records
1981?	Never Going Back Again /?
1981?	Dancing Bear / Scotch And Soda

EP

• 1955 (?): Songs From The Hills - 'Tis Sweet To Be Remembered / I'll Still Write Your Name In The Sand / Four Walls Around Me / Goin' Like Wildfire

Albums

• 1958: 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered
• 1959: Beside the Still Waters
• 1960: Great Folk Ballads
• 1960: Mac Wiseman sings 12 Great Hits
• 1960: Keep on the Sunnyside
• 1961: The Best Loved Gospel Hymns
• 1962: Fire Ball Mail
• 1962: Bluegrass Favorites
• 1965: At the Toronto Horseshoe Club
• 1965: Sincerely
• 1966: This is Mac Wiseman
• 1966: A Master at Work
• 1966: Bluegrass (with the Osborne Brothers)
• 1966: Mac Wiseman sings Old Time Country Favorites
• 1967: Songs of the Dear Old Days
• 1967: Mac Wiseman
• 1968: Golden Hits of Mac Wiseman
• 1970: Johnny's Cash And Charley's Pride
• 1971: Lester's Mack
• 1972: On the Southbound
• 1973: Over the Hills to the Poorhouse
• 1973: Concert Favorites
• 1975: New Traditions 1
• 1975: New Traditions 2
• 1975: 16 great performances
• 1976: Country Music Memories
• 1977: The Mac Wiseman Story
• 1978: Mac Wiseman Sings Gordon Lightfoot
• 1979: Essential Bluegrass (with the Osborne Brothers)
• 1979: Golden Classics
• 1980: Songs That Make Jukebox Play
• 1981: Early Dot Recordings 1
• 1982: Greatest Bluegrass Hits
• 1982: Early Dot Recordings 2
• 1982: Grassroots to Bluegrass
• 1982: Bluegrass Special
• 1983: If Teardrops Were Pennies
• 1983: Mac and Chubby Live at Gilley's (with Chubby Wise )
• 1986: Once more with Feeling
• 1987: 24 greatest hits
• 1987: Classic Bluegrass
• 1990: Early Dot Recordings 3
• 1993: Teenage Hangout
• 1994: Number One Christmas
• 1997: 20 old-time country favorites
• 1998: Del, Doc & Mac (with Del McCoury and Doc Watson )
• 2000: Three Tenors of Bluegrass (with Jim Silvers & Bobby Osborne)
• 2001: Most Requested
• 2001: Letter Edged in Black
• 2001: Just Because
• 2001: Sings Gospels Vol. 1
• 2001: Sings Gospels Vol. 2
• 2001: At the Toronto Horseshoe Club
• 2001: Maple on the Hill
• 2001: Precious Memories
• 2001: First Recorded Live Concert
• 2002: The Heart of a Legend
• 2003: The Singles
• 2003: The lost album
• 2003: 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered
• 2005: 15 of My Grandma's Favorites
• 2005: 15 of My Gospel Favorites
• 2005: Precious Moments
• 2006: The Best of Mac Wiseman - Essential Original Masters
• 2006: On Susan's Floor
• 2014: Songs From My Mother's Hand

Web links

• Mac Wiseman on Hillbilly-Music.com (English)
• Mac Wiseman at Allmusic (English)
• Mac Wiseman at Discogs (English)

literature

• Fred Dellar & Roy Thompson: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Country Music ; ISBN 0-86101-012-4