During his course of over 50 years in country music, Mel Tillis has made his mark as both a performer and a songwriter. Throughout his career, Mel has written over 1,000 songs, approximately 600 of which have been recorded by major artists like George Strait, Kenny Rogers, and Ricky Skaggs.
Mel started performing in the early 50s with a group called The Westerners while he served as a baker in the United States Air Force stationed in Okinawa. In 1956, Webb Pierce recorded one of Mel’s songs, “I’m Tired,” and launched Mel’s career.
In 1976, Mel was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters International Hall of Fame. That same year, he was named the Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year. For six years in the 70s, Mel was also awarded CMA Comedian of the Year honors.
In September 1999, Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) named Mel the "Songwriter of the Decade." He was given a Special Citation of Achievement from BMI in June 2001 for three million broadcast performances of “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,” and has received multiple Golden R.O.P.E. awards, including the 2001 Songwriter of the Year and the 2004 Entertainer of the Year.
Throughout his career, Mel has recorded more than 60 albums. He has had 36 top ten singles, with nine of them going to No. 1, including “Good Woman Blues,” “Coca-Cola Cowboy,” and “Southern Rain.”
Mel also stepped out of the country music world and tried his hand at acting. He appeared in several television movies and the feature films “Every Which Way But Loose,” “W.W. & The Dixie Dance Kings," and “Uphill All the Way,” just to name a few.
When Mel isn’t busy devoting time to country music, he loves cooking, fishing, gardening, and watching University of Florida ball games. 2007 was a watershed year in Mel's career. For less than two months after having become an official Opry member, the legendary entertainer learned he had also been elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Joining the cast of the Opry was a family affair for Mel, whose daughter Pam Tillis has been an Opry member since 2000. In 2010, Mel received the Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award from the Academy of Country Music. The award honors individuals who are pioneers in the country music genre.
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