Country music legend Mac Davis has died following heart surgery – the news was confirmed by his manager. As we told you yesterday, 78-year-old Davis penned numerous top hits, including Elvis Presley’s “In the Ghetto.” He also charted dozens of his own hits in the ’70s and ’80s. Davis was named the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year in 1974, and in 2000, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
His charm and smile were synonymous with about every character he played – especially on the small screen where in recent years, Mac was featured on “King of the Hill,” “That ’70s Show,” “Rodney” and Dolly Parton’s 2019 telefilm, “Heartstrings.” Among the initial reactions, country icons Reba McEntire and Kenny Chesney.
“Thank you, dear Lord Jesus, for letting us know the man to whom you gave the most incredible talent,” Reba says in a statement. “He entertained and spread joy to so many people. What a wonderful legacy he left all of us with his music. Mac was one of a kind. I’m so blessed to have been one of his many friends.”
“I met Mac as a young artist just starting out on my journey, when he was already a legend and a songwriting hero to me,” Chesney recalls. “He welcomed me into his home and turned that tremendous creative light on me. Even though he’d written “In the Ghetto” for Elvis and had so many incredible hits of his own, he made me feel like what I was doing mattered…giant heart, quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me.”
