Mel Tllis UTUBE

you this is an exciting day I am going to be interviewing a very well-known entertainer mr. Mel Tillis we have been invited aboard his tour bus this is Margaret Lee special people in places today I have an extremely special guest mr. Mel Tillis ma'am we appreciate this so much as I explained to you and Larry sent an email when we found out that you were going to appear in Birmingham Alabama I was beside myself I said that's too close you've got to try he contacted your people and you very graciously said you would meet with us but because we have a mutual friend you want to tell people about that miss limo marry and he's from Alabama the old Mary's slim brought his band and played for our wedding boy and he talked real slow like this and I stuttered so he ought to hear us get together some time but he passed away not too long ago but I love slim and he was on our band on Okinawa and he was one of the singers and I was the other singer and we and we both we played guitar little rhythm guitar but I already loves them he used to come to see me in Nashville when I lived in Nashville and also he came to see me in Detroit I did I did some commercials for Stroh's beer and in slim showed up with his Bible he came to the to Branson and we had a a band reunion in Kunal and I'm on the Westerners we call ourself the Westerners in the and you won the one I was from the way us but L going to have to tell people that went all the way back to 1952 Brill 1952 of within the Air Force well let me tell you this hour I was in college the 1951 hours at the University of Florida and I and I was also in in the National Guard and I was taking ROTC at Florida and I felt like that I was going to get drafted and now and I went home for Christmas and I said the daddy I said I'm not coming out to going back to school he said problem well I said I felt like a moon I won't get drafted and my dad had a little bakery and and he said if ya go back to school you're going in the bakery shop but I'm gonna pay you twenty dollars a week at ten dollars of that is women board now said well daddy up to about fifteen minutes ago it was free is today free no more a go across the street to the post office to get me the mail and I went over there and there was the Air Force recruiter had his uh his table just set up and he and he had had the American flag there at men in head Uncle Sam we won't you and I thought that was nice to be wanted like that so I joined the hair polish and on Christmas Day mom and dad they took me to a West Palm Beach and put me on a train and I rode the train all the way out to San Antonio Texas he had basic there and I had the basic electron air force base about there four weeks into our training they called us all in for what to health at that Pitou test to tell us the blood we were sued upon what we were suited for now waited on - waited everybody was getting their orders was coming back for them or port to gunnery school some supplier the motor pool in this and I said for me to report across town to the fourth army baking school they found out about your background Eddie it turned over in his grave right now every time I tell that you know but that's what I did for years i was a baker in the air portion got to folks I so admire country now sure them cakes and cookies and pies and doughnuts and they made that tell now uh your dad must have got a big kick out of that though yeah he did and you didn't have to pay for your room and board either no it didn't when did you meet our slim Amiri I met slim on Okinawa Oh slim was in the army and I was in the Air Force and and I joined a little band over there I had a little or the radio came out of the workshop I'm a better spot where I worked and I would turn it down and listened to there was a band over there and they called us if the Westerners and I had a donor and it said the big one delivered must not have tonight of day at the at the officer's club been being by all youthful to come out and he said and we're going to need a new singer I'm you're saying which is last night and and he'll be going home and he said we're going to need a a singer but I didn't have enough rank to get in lifted me if you as a non come oh oh you could get in if you had more strapped in a corporal and I and they were better man from Galax Virginia he said I'll take you here's a sergeant and he took me over there to that Club and I know and I met that Thomas sparks Tommy published from Missouri from Saxton Missouri and and he's the lead of the band and uh and I better from Magellan from Gale actual Robert she took me up up to me them you know on their break and I went up and get healing Dishman I couldn't see my name I struggled so bad and those days really bad and he said he could claim should give the headache a toke yep yeah but he could sing and they let me and they let me sing and I heard all about what you believe and though they got up to bounce and then people didn't and he said you did it so well sing it again and they hired me and I spent the next two years learning how to be a bad number and and how to be how to run a band I have to talk to a crowd I got some valuable experience doing that and the more than the drivers on stage the less I stuttered and the more that I talk you know comfortable and and so when did Aslam come in oh he came in about four about six months after I was in the band and and he could sing good nothing but you did another singer to help me out you know take it and we worked for maybe three nights a week you know got paid five dollars or not a piece if it I saved up enough money so when I got home to Pahokee Florida I bought me uh enough 1953 a bill our Chevrolet happy dog yeah open up for that the money that I earned over there and I was still in the Air Force and and I had I had to do another two years so god they say it's in Lincoln Nebraska and now and I went to Lincoln Nebraska I met a young man in in the autograph blind and he could sing and and I invited him over and his name was Lisa Martin it turned out to be boxcar Willie so Oh boss going on we was into a Lincoln for two years and we played all over all over that area Omaha and we always so you still playing pond you finish up your military tour of duty van of yes yep and we're back to a fourth I went to back and my folks had moved from Pahokee up up to Plant City Florida which is just outside of Tampa and yeah I had a cousin with the railroad did Atlantic coastline and that he told me he said I think you're hired he said I'll take you up there that's why I went up then they took me and and I didn't have to do any talking for him but then those days I couldn't see nothing and anyway they hired me and they made a fireman out of me and I got to sit up on that engine up on the engine with the engineer and I in my job which keeps him alert so I wrote a song called Atlantic coastal line riding the Atlantic Ocean line and Shorty proud that was his first single and yeah and I wrote the other side of it too and it was called snakes call it night anyway and I would use my railroad pass to go to Nashville herb and I would go from Tampa to Jacksonville and then I I switch over to the L and then the Louisville Nashville railroad and Google right down into the heart of Nashville and get off the train right downtown up and and now and that's what I did out I wrote it you know several times and I'm knock on the door and they said no we don't need stuttering singers we need songs so I said well up you know never you know that's what we need and uh and I started writing songs in the first one was that the coast line railroad riding the Atlantic everybody calls me Bo got no money but a home ro some folks there but I'm just no good kind but I can ride for miles on an old boss car smoked cigarette bucks and you cigar ridin did Lana coaster on my word yeah and that was your very personal everything I first of all know the first moments uncle I'm tired Oh Lord I'm tired and it went number one for Webb Pierce I wrote that and then a motorboat Bunko honky-tonk song it went number one so out the Lord I'm a songwriter didn't even know it so I begin to I moved to Nashville then in it and I started young writing songs instead of kind of stead of performing but they found out that the that I could sing without stuttering and Porto regular hired me build his show put me on his show and and and from there I began to get the Mike Douglas show out of Philadelphia I got the Merv Griffin Show in LA and dinosaur show up the Hollywood Squares I got on all those shows next thing I knew I'm doing movies and TV shows won Entertainer of the Year and I've won all Awards ain't no more Awards oh I know you've won them all all the top awards president not too long ago the American Music Award yeah for your contribution which of the awards are you most proud of but I know you're proud of all of them aren't you well the awards which one are you most proud of or all of them Oh I think you know when the songwriter of the year and then some writer of the decade another award for that Oh Entertainer of the Year and that's one does I did I'm most proud of was entertaining of the year because I got to make people laugh you know and I started talking on the stage and the more I talk the less I stuttered and I signed an autograph not too long ago in Branson and there's some guy loon airmail because I paid $45 you start on you ain't started one down bid and I said I'm trying to quit sir he was disappointed oh and I'd go to the Hollywood out there you know not being sitcoms the Glen Campbell goodtime hour and all themselves I don't the Dean Martin and and they would write the stuttering for don't do that i don't i may not stutter on that word and don't do that you know I start over I stutter they were trying to control you I'm where people are just of you have so many fans and people are just in there amazed at how many songs you've written male those are all blessings you know because I'm not and when we just finished a new one I started it and my son he said let me help you finish it so I did song called babies I wish that baby could be babies a little bit longer and he sings that on stage and the blady old ladies are crying he'll sing it today for you oh my goodness that sounds wonderful it kind of made you cry too didn't it yeah yes yeah because they're up and gone for you know it and you know I got up the five girls and one son up and gone well I noticed in the photo rehab that slim was so proud of when he came out a visit with you in Branson and your little girl Hannah is just a little one and you said she's now she's 27 years old and she's the youngest of course that she's a legal assistant that adopted girl Judy and I too wanted a child but you couldn't have that baby so well we heard about went through the church a baby of Indianapolis and if you're going to be born or circus trucks and they called us and said well the baby's here and we got in the car and went up there and got her when she was just one day old and brought her home and she's been the love of our lives she did a wonderful wonderful daughter she was a blessed baby well she's from Malaysia yeah yeah it's a beautiful child I'd love to see before we go I'm going to see a picture of her the way she looks today yeah look at that photo all the time when I show people through the museum and talk about you do you have now we're fortunate to be able to be with you today in Birmingham and how often do you tour bail well I'm gonna I'd know about a hundred shows a year really and that's nothing that's nothing I guess to a trooper and you can tell on stage when you see our show that if that up they'll really love it you're just so blessed with good health you've had a few problems lately but you've healed up I had a I didn't even know I needed one I felt a little tickle up into here it didn't hurt and come and go this went all about six months and I said I better go get that checked after I went to a little doctor's office in in National City Tennessee and he said Mel he said when they put all that stuff he said you need to go see a heart doctor and I went they did all this stuff they said you need to check in now they're wearing they're beefing now I said I can't check in now I gotta go to Nova Scotia and he said he said that when will you be back I said well I think I should be back by Monday he said don't check in I don't go home they check in so I went up there now I did one show in Toronto and other in Nova Scotia came in and checked in and and next bent on you they were prepping me you shaving me and everything they could they could shave and and on and I went in and they did the bypass had me up next morning walking so uh and that all healed up but I never did feel any pain with that but on on Thanksgiving this Thanksgiving last Thanksgiving I made some ambrosia your fruit salad not put a lot of nuts in it and I had had about two or three happens and and I woke up the next morning not me I had I had a little pain him and McGuirk not that'll go away well it didn't midnight and I was by myself the kids he going home I got my truck and I went to the little Hospital there in National City they said they took x-rays they said you got diverticulitis you need to go to the big hospital so they sent the ambulance and they took me up there and prepped me the next thing I hear they he had a scar I got scars and I got a big old thing over there that they had that that bag but all that's held up now and uh you know but that hurt stick straight painful heard I tell you did a story about them Oh they booked me at Harris hotel in a casino in Lake Tahoe and they asked me if I could come out there and fill in for Frank Sinatra I said that I said yes sir we'll be there and we went and I asked you I asked him I said go what's the matter with Frank and said well he's in the hospital and well I know that but what's the matter where the morgue you'll have to I don't know this is you and I went to visit with me with him and he told me that he had that particular itis he said Mel he said it hurts don't ever get this out cyrillic okay I'll try not to but I got it and started all that but I found out that it really hurts and I cut out on the nuts I loved yellow pecans and almonds no kind of that oh it's are so good boy yeah but not all the time they're not good for you found out yeah oh my god Frank Sinatra okay you know all of them but now Nancy Sarada I noticed in your bio didn't you do a recording with Nancy oh yes I did a album with her and that's how I met Frank and then when I was in Vegas I I was the 14 weeks but at the frontier hotel and frame with the Caesars and he'd call me up every ml he said uh that's how they say that well anyway he's asked me to come up you know and and visit with him he had a little place you know roped off from the stage you know when he got through and he'd come in there instead to have a few drinks and go to bed but I'd go up there with him every afternoon ahead he's very interested he wanted to know all about country music you know and this one doesn't and he heard some of my songs you know that he liked and I believe if he hadn't passed away that he that probably have done some of those songs no doubt yeah I did this happen with Nancy and he did pretty good when she had that big one something about these boots all the boots are made for walking yes yes but you know what has been the biggest part of my life been humor best medicine in the world humor and let me tell you about that my dad has started a little bit and my brother Richard he's is 13 months older than I and he started a little bit and I started to but yeah I thought but not the way we talk you know I didn't know any difference and I started at school Woodrow Elementary in Plant City Florida and I came home in the first day and I said mama do I start her and she said yes you do son and that's the moment they laughed at me and she said well son if they're going to laugh at you give him something to laugh about so only about you the next day and that was my very first day in show business I learned the secret I learned the secret of humor and humans the best medicine and a mum had eight sisters and every one of them was so funny they had some great stores I got one at Moselle in that wardrobe up they up into 80s and they still drive nearly dry they go to Walmart they go to have them toenails worked on by them Corrine and they and not too long ago they were going somewhere and that Mo's I was driving and she ran through a stoplight yeah and that road roof she didn't say anything she just kind of tear the throat a little bit and that motor what on up she ran through another one well it would rule put on a seatbelt a sort of braced or separated that moves everyone Billups around through the third one and that would go said those how did you know that you just ran through your thirst top lot and that mojo said oh my god am i driving in that silly oh my god larry has a nephew and he was a patrolman and he pulled over this little lady that went through a stoplight and he said you went through that stoplight she says I know but she said nothing was coming and she said you know Mom my arthritis is so bad she said I don't stop unless I just have to as humor true story yes and while we're talking about that you have started a little book with it it's all finished we're in it now oh it's collecting sure another and that's going to be the cover acting Sheriff it takes place in 1946 well let me tell you how this started Hey Oh someone else asked Mark Twain that said mr. trayner do you have some kind of a regiment or something that you do before you get started riding he said yes he stood up I get up in the morning about five o'clock I put on a pot of coffee a lot of cigar and I'll just start lying I said well hell I can do that and I'll sit down when I sit down and I could top because I learned that in school Delbert as one of the best those subjects was typing and uh and I'll sit down and I didn't get up the lipid it was finished and it we're editing it now I've got I got a chapter xxxi that I'm editing and uh and it's got to I got 49 chapters in it but anyway it's about it's called acting Sheriff and the real Sheriff has to go into hospital for a hemorrhoid operation and here points is the up one of his sergeants as Acting Sheriff and all this takes place in my home county in Palm Beach County it takes place in 1947 and it's just full of laughs and redneck humor we will be looking forward to that and how did you come up with that character of the acting Sheriff his name was William IV and the guy that they're after in their ad area burnt down and he's running from below and his name with Triple E and he had a sister that owned the dairy and her name of Twila so I got some good character names in there and uh it's I think you'll laugh you got a lot of redneck stuff in there oh when do you anticipate putting that baby to bed uh I got to finish editing it and I think that'll be about a month we'll have it you ready to go and remember I looking at all different our options ones with Amazon and and the other have to do it ourselves or to go to a major pub let me tell you this it's got some words in it that you but it's a book Oh little colorful language maybe yes in my daughter Hannah knows of the guy that was the head of a publishing company in Nashville it was a subsidiary of one of them big companies and and she said I'll take it to him let end up she took it to him and he kept it from 30 days and I asked her where's the coming back said the but no it'll be back and at next two or three days it came back and I said well what did he say and she said well he said it was intriguing it's reading reading so laughter okay oh so he didn't like that colorful language maybe play he sure he eats alone but he did they said I like the book well and but now you have done a really a gospel album haven't you males a couple of them yeah my first one went goal it took it 19 years and it's called beyond the sunset and the latest went out now it's doing good - it's on its way and it's going on it called the father-son and it's really pretty good song say we're living on the edge of something really good heads getting better every day they said we can put an end to war and learn to love each other and if we look inside ourselves will surely find the way but you can't love your brother you don't know the father you can't know the father if you don't know the son I bought in mind that they used to be in my band is now that step fit a player ah Grand Ole Opry and his name is hoot Hester you know who wrote that I can't wait to hear that we'll have to get that album any gospel songs oh yeah I wrote one called mamas Bible and Porter Wagner did it but you have written some gospel yeah Mel but I'm just really interested sometimes these writers songwriters even as youngsters they find out they can write a little bit even your college days it didn't ever occur to you to write a song yeah I wrote one there oh but there's no report from the lake imploring him earnest Kombi and he played the mandolin and I paid the guitar and I wrote a song called North uh North Florida the north part of South Georgia in the good old USA and you know there's a group out called Florida Georgia line and I bet that's where that idea came from could be but so you found out early on you had a little talent but nothing like when you started playing with the band in Okinawa you learn so much on Okinawa from Tommy sparks here's the leader of the band and there's some sock de Mazarin Tito he taught me how to play a sock rhythm instead of the open chords Oh slim he played the open court has not paid the song Nicole and they caught us brush shapes they called you to you and slam look he played open court so he wasn't a brush shape I mean I played you in close chords and it acted as a drum because we didn't have drums oh I seen these and when we opened that Depot slim that was in 1997 and it was at exactly 100 years after you know the original open and slim came and we have a video and Larry's going to copy that he wrote a song and surprised us with it a song about the town and in this old town and they got a good thing moving initial town

Channel: LarryandMargaretLee

Views: 43,746

Rating: 4.8513932 out of 5

Keywords: Interview Mel Tillis SPECIAL PEOPLE & PLACES with Margaret Lee

Id: RSMNdexAOLU

Length: 33min 30sec (2010 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 17 2015