Bobby Karl Works The Room—Universal Music Publishing Honors Mel Tillis

Chapter 264

This is one heckuva week for living legend Mel Tillis.

On Sunday (10/28) came his Hall of Fame induction. On Monday (10/29), he peformed at the Ryman with his fellow inductees Vince Gill and Ralph Emery. On Tuesday (10/30), he and The Statesiders are booked to rock The Stage downtown.

He did a CMT interview Monday, followed immediately by a reception in his honor at Universal Music Publishing (10/29). While we waited for his arrival, former Statesider Buddy Cannon recalled being called repeatedly back to the band every time Mel got mad at Larry McFaden. Buddy went on to work for Mel’s Music Row publishing company for 12 years.

Once Mel and the staff had gathered, senior v.p. and general manager Pat Higdon recalled his earliest days in publishing, working at Cedarwood Music.

“The walls were covered in BMI Awards,” Pat recalled. “And most of them were for songs that Mel Tillis either wrote, co-wrote or sang.”

He presented a commemorative, inscribed crystal vase to Mel.

“It’s heavy,” Mel remarked. “That must mean it’s real. I come from the Webb Pierce School of Drinking, so this is the right size.” In truth, the first thing he asked for on arrival was a beer.

While manager/girlfriend Kathy DeMonico took charge of the vase, Pat led Mel down the hall to the newly christened Mel Tillis Writers’ Room. Scott Gunter had gone to the company’s storage building near the Fairgrounds and dug out all of Mel’s old Cedarwood BMI awards and hung them on the room’s walls.

A vintage guitar stood on the hearth. Above the mantle were Mel show posters. A framed copy of Mel’s handwritten lyrics to “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to Town” was on one side of the window. The wall on the other side of the window was decorated with a portrait of Mel. “Your first idea is usually the best,” read Mel’s advice to writers who’ll work in the room. A plaque on the door identified it as Mel’s room.

“I’m going to give you a key to the building so you can come in and write songs whenever you want,” Pat promised.

“There were only a few publishers in Nashville when I came [in 1956],” Mel recalled, “Cedarwood, Acuff-Rose, Tree and a little company that Murray Nash had. There were, maybe, six or seven writers—Wayne Walker, Danny Dill, Vic McAlpin, Jack Toombs—he moonlighted driving a cab—Felice & Boudleaux Bryant.

“I had 25 of the top-50 songs! There wasn’t any competition. I got some real ‘dogs’ cut.”

Mel kept the young Universal writers in stitches with his quips. But he seemed genuinely moved and delighted at the sight of his room.

Rivers Rutherford, Matraca Berg, Jody Williams, Shelby Kennedy, Hank Adam Locklin, Thomas Cain, Harry Warner, Kay Williams and Jennifer Carrington basked in living-legend glory.