Music Icon Mac Davis Dead at 78

The entertainment industry is mourning the loss of music icon Mac Davis, who rose to fame after penning  “A Little Less Conversation” and “In The Ghetto” for Elvis Presley.

Davis died on Tuesday (Sept. 29) after undergoing heart surgery. He was 78 years old.

“He was surrounded by the love of his life and wife of 38 years, Lise, and his sons Scott, Noah and Cody,” his manager, Jim Morey, wrote on Facebook.

Morey went on to remember Davis as “a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend” and shared that he will “miss laughing about our many adventures on the road and his insightful sense of humor.”

Throughout his career, Davis wrote songs for artists such as Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Bruno Mars, Kenny Rogers, Glen Campbell, Avicii, Andy Williams, Conway Twitty, Tom Jones, Bobby Blue Bland, Tammy Wynette, Weezer and Merle Haggard.

A recording artist in his own right, the legendary artist chart over 40 singles and released 20 albums during his career.

Davis was a celebrated artist and songwriter. He was inducted into the national Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998 and became a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2000. He was also inducted into the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and honored with the BMI Icon Award in 2015.

Additionally, Davis saw a bit of success as an actor and television personality. He had his very own variety series, The Mac Davis Show, on NBC from 1974 to 1976 and also appeared in a handful of movies.

Mac Davis is survived by his Lise, wife of 38 years, as well as his sons Scott, Noah and Cody, daughters-in-law, Tammy, Amy, Cassia, granddaughter Lindsey, mother Edith and sister Linda.