What was Mel Tillis's Net Worth?
Mel Tillis was a country music singer-songwriter and actor who had a net worth of $20 million at the time of his death in November 2017 at the age of 85. Mel Tillis achieved his greatest career success in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement. His biggest hit songs include "I Ain't Never," "Good Woman Blues," and "Coca-Cola Cowboy." Tillis also appeared in a number of films, including "Smokey and the Bandit II," "The Villain," and "Uphill All the Way."
Early Life and Education
Mel Tillis was born as Lonnie Melvin Tillis on August 8, 1932 in Tampa, Florida to Burma and Lonnie Sr. The family later moved to Pahokee in the Miami metro area. Following a bout of malaria as a child, Tillis developed a stutter. He got into music early on, taking up the drums and guitar. At the age of 16, Tillis won a local talent competition. For his higher education, he enrolled at the University of Florida, but ultimately dropped out to enlist in the US Air Force. While stationed on Okinawa, Tillis formed a band called the Westerners.
Career Beginnings
Upon leaving the Air Force in 1955, Tillis returned to Florida and took a variety of odd jobs, including with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Using his railroad pass to visit Nashville, Tennessee, he met and auditioned for Wesley Rose, of the publishing house Acuff-Rose Music. Although he was told to return to Florida to develop his skills, Tillis eventually ended up moving to Tennessee and writing songs full-time. He had his first major country hit as a songwriter in 1957 with the song "I'm Tired," which he co-wrote for Webb Pierce. Tillis scored another country hit for Pierce with "Honky Tonk Song." Around this time, he also penned charting hits for such artists as Ray Price, Brenda Lee, and Kitty Wells. Having become a hit-making songwriter, Tillis signed his own contract with Columbia Records, and proceeded to have a moderate hit with "The Violet and a Rose."
Rise to Stardom
After years of writing or co-writing country hits for other artists, Tillis signed with Kapp Records in the mid-1960s and scored his own first top-15 hit with the song "Wine." He had subsequent hits with "Stateside" and "Life Turned Her That Way." Tillis continued penning hit songs for other artists throughout the 60s, including "All the Time" for Jack Greene, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, and "Mental Revenge" for Waylon Jennings. In 1968, Tillis had his first top-10 hit as a singer with "Who's Julie." He scored further top-10 country hits in 1969 with "These Lonely Hands of Mine" and "She'll Be Hanging Around Somewhere."
Peak of Career
Tillis reached the peak of his career in the 1970s. At the beginning of the decade, he made it to the top five for the first time as a singer with "Heart Over Mind," which reached number three on the Hot Country Songs chart. That was followed in short order by a string of further country hits, including "Heaven Everyday," "Commercial Affection," "Take My Hand," and "Brand New Mister Me." Tillis scored his first number-one hit as a singer in 1972 with "I Ain't Never," which he had originally written for Webb Pierce many years prior. Following that success, he had hits with "Neon Rose" and "Sawmill," which reached number three and number two on the chart, respectively. Tillis continued cranking out hits over the ensuing years; among the most notable were "Midnight, Me and the Blues," "Stomp Them Grapes," and "Woman in the Back of My Mind."
Tillis found his greatest career success at MCA Records, to which he signed in 1976. That year, he had a pair of number-one hits with "Heart Healer" and "Good Woman Blues." Tillis went on to win Entertainer of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards, and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He had his next number-one hit in 1978 with "I Believe in You," followed by "Coca-Cola Cowboy" in 1979. Around this time, Tillis also had such hits as "Send Me Down to Tucson" and "I Got the Hoss." After signing with Elektra Records in mid-1979, he had hits with "Blind in Love" and "Lying Time Again." Tillis continued his success into the early 1980s with "Your Body is an Outlaw" and "Steppin' Out." In 1981, he had his final number-one hit with "Southern Rains."Also that year, he released an album of duets with Nancy Sinatra. Tillis had his final top-ten hit in 1984 with "New Patches."
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Film Acting
As a film actor, Tillis made his debut in 1967's "Cottonpickin' Chickenpickers," featuring other country music stars. He later appeared in the 1975 comedy "W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings," starring Burt Reynolds. Tillis reunited with Reynolds in the 1980s in the action comedies "Smokey and the Bandit II," "The Cannonball Run," and "The Cannonball Run II." Among his other film credits, Tillis was in the Western comedies "The Villain" and "Uphill All the Way," starring in the latter with fellow country star Roy Clark.
Radio Station Ownership
In 1979, Tillis acquired the Amarillo, Texas radio station KIXZ and converted it into a popular country music station. Shortly after that, he acquired another Amarillo station, KYTX, which became KMML. Later on, Tillis acquired WMML in Mobile, Alabama.
Late Career
Tillis resumed writing songs for other artists in the 1980s, including Ricky Skaggs and Randy Travis. He also penned his autobiography, "Stutterin' Boy," and built a theater in Branson, Missouri where he performed until 2002. Along with Bobby Bare, Waylon Jennings, and Jerry Reed, he formed the country music supergroup the Old Dogs, which released a double album of songs written by Shel Silverstein.
In 2007, Tillis was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Five years later, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama for his contributions to country music.
Personal Life and Death
With his first wife, Doris, Tillis had six children. Among them are successful country artists Sonny and Pam. Tillis later married his wife Kathy.
Following a long battle with several illnesses, Tillis passed away from respiratory failure in Ocala, Florida on November 19, 2017. He was 85 years of age.
Real Estate
At the time of his death Mel Tillis owned properties in Tennessee and Florida. In Ashland City, Tennessee he owned a 252-acre property that features rolling hills, a 7-acre lake, multiple residences, his recording studio and much more.
