Mel Tillis

Mel Tillis
Tillis at the Grand Ole Opry, 2007
Background information
Birth name	Lonnie Melvin Tillis
Born	(1932-08-08) August 8, 1932 (age 84) Pahokee, Florida, United States
Origin	Tampa, Florida, United States
Genres	Country Outlaw country
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals, guitar
Years active	1958–present
Labels	Columbia Records Decca Records Kapp Records MGM Records MCA Records Elektra Records Radio Records
Associated acts	Pam Tillis, Nancy Sinatra, Roger Miller, Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Bill Anderson, Old Dogs, Dude Mowrey
Website	http://www.meltillis.com/

Lonnie Melvin "Mel" Tillis (born August 8, 1932) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s, with a long list of Top 10 hits.

Tillis's biggest hits include "I Ain't Never", "Good Woman Blues", and "Coca-Cola Cowboy". On February 13, 2012, President Barack Obama awarded Tillis the National Medal of Arts for his contributions to country music. He also has won the CMA Awards' most coveted award, Entertainer of the Year. He is also known for his speech impediment, which does not affect his singing voice. His daughter is country music singer Pam Tillis.

Tillis was born in Plant City, Florida but later raised in Pahokee, Florida (near West Palm Beach) in 1932. His stutter developed during his childhood, a result of a bout with malaria. As a child, Tillis learned the drums as well as guitar and at age 16, won a local talent show. He attended the University of Florida but dropped out and joined the United States Air Force. While stationed in Okinawa, he formed a band called The Westerners, which played at local nightclubs.

After leaving the Air Force in 1955, Tillis returned to Florida where he worked a number of odd jobs, eventually finding employment with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in Tampa, Florida. He used his railroad pass to visit Nashville and eventually met and auditioned for Wesley Rose of famed Nashville publishing house Acuff-Rose Music. Rose encouraged Tillis to return to Florida and continue honing his songwriting skills. Tillis eventually moved to Nashville, Tennessee, and began writing songs full-time. Tillis wrote "I'm Tired," a No. 3 country hit for Webb Pierce in 1957. Other Tillis hits include "Honky Tonk Song" and "Tupelo County Jail." Ray Price and Brenda Lee also charted hits with Tillis's material around this time. In the late 1950s, after becoming a hit-making songwriter, he signed his own contract with Columbia Records. In 1958, he had his first Top 40 hit, "The Violet and a Rose," followed by the Top 25 hit "Sawmill."