Legenday Mel McDaniel Passes Away

Sad news to post on April Fool’s Day. No joke. Grand Ole Opry star Mel McDaniel passed away Thursday evening at age 68. He had been battling lung cancer for several years.

Mel’s beloved hits include “Louisiana Saturday Night” (1981), “Big Ole Brew” (1982), “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” (1984), “Let it Roll” (1985), “Stand Up” (1985). Additionally, Mel had success with “Gentle to Your Senses” (1977), “God Made Love” (1978), “Right in the Palm of Your Hand” (1981), “Take Me To the Country” (1982) and “I Call it Love” (1983), “Real Good Feel Good Song” (1988) and his cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Stand on It” (1986). His No. 1 hit “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” was nominated for both a Grammy and a CMA Award.

Mel also had a fair share of success as a songwriter. He co-penned “God Made Love,” and Conway Twitty’s 1978 hit “The Grandest Lady of Them All.” The song “Goodbye Marie,” was also from Mel’s library; it was recorded by Bobby Goldsboro in 1981 and by Kenny Rogers in 1986. Hoyt Axton, Doug Kershaw, Livewire and other artists have also recorded Mel McDaniel writings.

Mel McDaniel was born Sept, 6, 1942 in Checotah, OK. Yes, the same Checotah where Carrie Underwood was born. Mel cut his musical teeth in the honky-tonks of Tulsa, and later in the nightclubs of Anchorage, Alaska before moving to Nashville in 1974. In Music City, Mel sang at local Holiday Inn lounges and recorded song demos before signing with Capitol Records in 1976. He remained with the label until 1990. Mel joined the Grand Ol Opry cast on January 11, 1986.

In recent history, Mel made news in 1996 when he was badly hurt after a fall from a stage in Louisiana. His injuries were nearly fatal, and he never fully recovered. Regardless, he continued to perform on his beloved Opry and record; his most recent album being the 2006 release of Reloaded: Tried True and New on Aspirion Records.

Mel once said, “I wanted to be a singer because I wanted to make people feel good with my music.” Night after night, year after year, he achieved that goal on stages and radio dials across America. Mel McDaniel’s music is bound to make people feel good for years to come.