Texan Mosaic

by: SERGIO MADRID/Staff Writer 

A singer-songwriter, former actor and all-around class act, Mac Davis returned to his hometown recently and put on yet another brilliant performance.

Davis was in Lubbock on Sept. 18 for a concert at The Spirit Ranch.

Having grown up in Lubbock, Davis describes his hometown as a place full of “value and character.” He says he was raised in a family full of character and a foundation of doing it right the first time.

Davis says music was installed in his life at a young age.

“My father had me in the church choir as soon as he learned I could carry a tune,” Davis recalled during an interview prior to the concert. He explains his success in the entertainment business as, “one lucky accident after another.”

Starting off with writing songs, Davis set out to pursue nothing more than a professional career as a songwriter. He ended up writing songs for other artists, most notably his idol, Elvis Presley. When asked what it was like getting to meet and write for his idol, Davis said, “it was scary at first being surrounded by The Memphis Mafia constantly hanging on your every word, and being afraid to say the wrong thing is scary until the day you’re just used to it.”

After a few of his songs such as  “Memories” and “In the Ghetto” became hits for other artists, Davis decided to go his own way, and his success would continue. During his solo career, Davis topped the charts with “Baby Don’t Get Hooked On Me.” A long trail of hits would continue, until his last notable hit of his solo career, “I Never Made Love.”

“When you google me,” says Davis, “the first thing you’ll see is me singing to Miss Piggy (the famous muppet of Sesame Street).” He adds that “Sesame Street was the highest class show I’ve ever been on, it was a great time and a lot of fun.”

From 1974 to 1976, Davis had a television show on NBC.

“My manager had worked out a deal with producers from the network,” Davis says. “They had me do a show in which I sat on a stool, sang a few songs, and talked about them.”

After Davis’ first show, producers from the network ultimately put Davis on for a full-time gig.

Davis also spoke on his thoughts about West Texas and how it produces musicians such as “The Flatlanders,” “Buddy Holly,” and “Natalie Maines,” who have great commercial success and change the music curve with a sound fixated centrally to them.

“It’s the wind,” Davis simply states. “Something special about it is so inspiring and almost unexplainable.”

Davis and accompanist Mike Loudermilk performed Davis’ 1993 hit, “Hooked on Music.”

Davis is still active in the music business, as he recently wrote a hook for the renowned songwriter Bruno Mars, and wrote alongside booming DJ Avicii.