Country music legend Mel Tillis has died at age 85.
Tillis was a huge star in the 70s and early 80s, crossing over into film and TV. He was also a stutterer, although it didn't cross over into his singing, and he joked about it a lot. I wasn't a huge fan of his music, but I loved him in Cannonball Run and on TV.
RIP, Mel.
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Country Music Hall of Famer Mel Tillis dead at 85
Country Music Hall of Famer, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Grand Ole Opry member Mel Tillis died early Sunday morning at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida, according to his publicist Don Murry Grubbs.
Tillis had been ill for some time. In January 2016 he underwent surgery after a serious bout of diverticulitis. He battled sepsis and spent the better part of a month in the intensive care unit. According to Grubbs, he never fully recovered. The suspected cause of death is respiratory failure.
Daughter and country singer-songwriter Pam Tillis' Facebook page posted that her father's death was sudden and unexpected, and asked fans to post their memories on Mel Tillis' official Facebook page.
The singer, songwriter, comedian and businessman, whose genuine warmth and down-home humor drew countless fans, was 85 years old. In his six-decade career, he recorded over 60 albums, notched three dozen Top 10 singles and wrote over 1,000 songs, several of which are now regarded as classics.
