Tillis success as a songwriter and his obvious talent as a vocalist soon won him a recording contract with Columbia Records. He sold it in 1987, along with other publishing interests, to PolyGram. 3 single in 1957 with “I’m Tired,” a song Tillis co-wrote with Buck Peddy and Ray Price.Īround this same time, Tillis signed as songwriter to the Cedarwood Music publishing company, of which Pierce was part owner. When that effort failed, he returned briefly to Florida and turned his attention to songwriting. In 1956, Tillis made his first pilgrimage to Nashville, hoping to secure a recording contract. While serving in the Air Force from 1951 to 1955, he played in a country band called the Westerners. He also played drums in his high school band. His early attraction to music led him to learn to play guitar and violin while still a teenager.
By his account, he began stuttering when he was 3 years old, following a bout with malaria.
The suspected cause of death is respiratory failure, according to his publicist, Don Murry Grubbs.ĭespite his many distinctions as a performer, songwriter, actor and music publisher, Tillis was most identified with his stuttering, a speech impediment from childhood that he transformed into a comic bonanza. 19) at the Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Florida. Country Music Hall of Fame member Mel Tillis died on Sunday (Nov.