Lonnie Melvin “Mel” Tillis was a singer, guitarist, and songwriter who had great success during the 1970s.
Tillis grew up in Tampa and attended the University of Florida, where he dropped out and joined the Air Force. After returning from the war, he picked up odd jobs until he began to work with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad company in Tampa. Here he used his railroad pass to travel to Tennessee to start his career. In Tennessee, he was encouraged to travel back to Florida and polish up his songwriting skills.
After writing songs in Florida, he landed his first top 40 hit in 1958 with “The Violet and a Rose.” He continued writing songs throughout the 1960s and gained widespread popularity in 1969 with his two country hits “These Lonely Hands of Mine” and “She’ll Be Hanging Around Somewhere.” With this newfound fame, he fully turned towards country music and continued to write throughout the 1970s. In 1976, he wrote two number one hits “Good Woman Blues” and “Heart Healer.” Continuing to work in the 1970s and 80s, he also got into films and television, even making a cameo appearance on Clint Eastwood’s Every Which Way but Loose. His last chart-topping hit was in 1984 with “New Patches.”
Mel’s daughter, Pam Tillis, was also featured heavily of much of his work, most notably in his song “Your Body is an Outlaw.” Later in his career, she also inducted him into the Grand Ole Opry. Mel Tillis embodied the Nashville sound of simple but melodic instrumentation which allowed his storytelling to take center stage.