The Professional Work of Bob McDill
Bob McDill was born on April 05, 1944 in Walden, Texas. He began writing songs in his youth and later took up guitar. Bob played in several local bands while in high school (1959-1962). McDill also played in a band called the Newcomers. The group worked weekends at a club called the Taproom. Bob met Allen Reynolds during high school. Reynolds would later become a notable Nashville songwriter and record producer. He attended Lamar University (1962-1966), where he studied literature. After ggraduating, he enlisted in the US Navy.
When Bob was in the Navy, he sent Allen some songs of which two were cut, Happy Man (Perry Como) and Black Sheep (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs). After the Navy he joined Reynolds in Memphisand began writing songs for Allen’s small publishing company. The company was bought by fellow publisher, Jack Clement, who was moving toNashville. Seeing dim prospects inMemphis, McDill followed Clement.
By 1970, he and went to work for Clement’s, Jack Music publishing company. Bob’s first composition for a country artist was Catfish John, co-written with Allen Reynolds and recorded in 1972 by Johnny Russell. After that, McDill threw himself into country music and Clement increased his salary, enabling Bob to write songs full-time. The dictionary defines “art” as “the production or expression of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance” and “artist” as “one who makes an art of his employment.”
Bob McDill is an artist. Bob is recognized by peers, critics and fans as an artist who has reached the peak of commercial success without sacrificing the integrity of his craft. In 1975, Bob’s devotion and discipline paid off when Don Williams took Bob’s Turn out the Light to number one, the first of more than a dozen Williams singles pinned by Bob. Don credits Bob with much of his success that followed him as a solo act.
The quantity and quality of Bob’s successes is impressive, but equally impressive is the number of years over which he has spread them. Bob’s songs were the backbone of country music for three decades. McDill made his mark with a string of hits that also include: Good Ole Boys Like Me, Amanda, Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold), Don't Close Your Eyes, She Don't Know She's Beautiful, All the Good Ones Are Gone, Gone Country, Catfish John, Rednecks, White Socks and Blue Ribbon Beer and Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On. In 1985, McDill had six songs on the Billboard singles chart, all in the same week.
Things seemed to get better and better for Bob as he eventually penned a total of thirty-one number one country music hits. Bob has received 37 BMI performance awards and 17 ASCAP performance awards, including: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1985); NSAI\Songwriter of the Year (1976); BMI\Citation of Achievement (1979); NSAI\Songwriter of the Year, BMI\Songwriter of the Year (1985); NSAI\Songwriter of the Year (1989) and ASCAP\Songwriter of the Year (1994). Bob is a publisher as well as a writer, a sportsman and traveler. But most of all, he is an artist.
"Writing can be very intense. You pace up and down the hall, you drink cup after cup of coffee. Sometimes you know exactly what you're trying to say, but you just can't make the language do it. But still, you keep trying, because you know that line that says exactly what you're looking for is out there in the stratosphere somewhere, and you just have to find it."
"You can't write country music looking down your nose at it." --Bob McDill.
McDill, Bob: Song catalog:
All of the Good Ones Are Gone – Pam Tillis (No. 4, 1997)
Amanda - Don Williams (No. 33, 1973), Waylon Jennings (No. 1, 1979)
Another Place Another Time – Jerry Lee Lewis (No. 4, 1968)
Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On - Mel McDaniel (No. 1, 1984)
Big Wheels in the Moonlight - Dan Seals (No. 1, 1988)
Catfish John -Johnny Russell (No. 12, 1972)
Come Early Morning - Don Williams (No. 12, 1973)
Don't Close Your Eyes - Keith Whitley (No. 1, 1988)
Everything That Glitters (Is Not Gold) - Dan Seals (No. 1, 1986)
Falling Again - Don Williams (No. 6, 1981)
Good Ole Boys Like Me - Don Williams (No. 2, 1980)
Gone Country - Alan Jackson (No. 1, 1995)
I Met a Friend of Yours Today -Mel Street (No. 10, 1976)
If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too) - Shenandoah (No. 1, 1994)
If Hollywood Don't Need You - Don Williams (No. 1, 1982)
I'll Do It All Over Again - Crystal Gayle (1977) (No. 2, 1977)
In a Different Light - Doug Stone (No. 1, 1991)
It Must Be Love - Don Williams (No. 1, 1979)
I've Been Around Enough To Know - John Schneider (No. 1, 1984)
I've Never Seen the Likes of You - Conway Twitty: (No. 6, 1980)
Just Like Real People - The Kendalls, (No. 11, 1979)
Look Who I'm Cheating on Tonight - Bobby Bare (1967)
Lord Have Mercy on a Country Boy – Don Williams (No. 7, 1991)
Louisiana Saturday Night - Mel McDaniel (No. 7, 1981)
My Baby’s Got Good Timing – Dan Seals (No. 2, 1985)
Nobody Likes Sad Songs - Ronnie Millsap (No.1, 1979)
Overnight Sensation - Mickey Gilley: (No. 7, 1975)
No, No, No (I’d Rather Be Free) – Rex Allen, Jr. (No. 8, 1978)
Rake and Ramblin' Man - Don Williams (No. 3, 1978)
Rednecks, White Socks & Blue Ribbon Beer/J. Russell (No. 4, 1973)
Right in the Palm of Your Hand - Mel McDaniel, (No. 10, 1981)
Save Your Heart For Me - Jacky Ward (No. 8, 1980)
Say It Again - Don Williams, (No. 1, 1976)
She Don't Know She's Beautiful - Sammy Kershaw (No. 1, 1993)
She Never Knew Me - Don Williams (No. 2, 1976)
Song of the South -Alabama (No. 1, 1988)
The Closest Thing to You - Jerry Lee Lewis (No. 27, 1977)
The Door Is Always Open - Dave & Sugar (No. 1, 1976)
They Rage On – Dan Seals (No. 5, 1989)
(Turn Out the Light and) Love Me Tonight - Don Williams, (No. 1, 1975)
We Believe In Happy Endings - Earl Thomas Conley: No. 1, 1988)
What She Is" (Is a Woman In Love) - Earl Thomas Conley: (No. 1, 1988)
Why Don't You Spend the Night - Ronnie Millsap (No.1, 1980)
Why I Didn’t Think of That – Doug Stone (No. 1, 1993)
You Never Miss a Real Good Thing - Crystal Gayle: (No. 1, 1976)
Written by: Richard Bell, Country Music Historian: Nashville,Tennessee,USA. Sep., 2011
