Mac McAnally - Harrisburg PA - 11/10/18
Posted: May 22, 2018 4:12 pm
Crossroads Promotions presents:
An Evening with Mac McAnally
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening ... 0?aff=eac2
In some ways, award-winning songwriter, instrumentalist, producer and artist Mac McAnally is a paradox.
He is beyond dispute one of the most respected musicians of our time. His peers have made that clear by honoring him as CMA Musician of the Year for an unprecedented nine years and electing him to the Nashville Songwriters Halls of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and Alabama Music Hall of Fame. For all that he has achieved, one dream remained elusive. Typically, it was Mac’s altruism, rather than any drive toward greater fame, that made it happen.
Music was the most obvious road for Lyman "Mac" McAnally to take from his Red Bay, Alabama birthplace and Belmont, Mississippi hometown. He was a guitar and piano prodigy who performed in clubs at 13, wrote his first song at 15 and landed as a Muscle Shoals studio musician at 18. Mac signed his first record deal, with Ariola, at 20 and launched two singles to moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100. "It's A Crazy World" peaked at No. 37 and "Minimum Love" topped out at No. 41.
His songwriting drew the attention of Jimmy Buffett and Hank Williams, Jr., both of whom cut McAnally songs. Alabama took his "Old Flame" to No. 1 in 1981. The song cemented his status as a hit maker, a reputation that has never waned. Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Brad Paisly are just some of the artists who cut Mac's songs over the next 20 years.
In the late '80s and '90s, McAnally became an in-demand producer, along the way working with Ricky Skaggs, Chris LeDoux and Little Feat, among others. He produced the band Sawyer Brown through their biggest successes and penned their signature hits including "Cafe On The Corner," "All These Years" and "Thank God For You."
Meanwhile, Mac's skills as a musician continued to bring calls that carried him into the studio. Over the course of his career he's built an enviable registry of credits that includes Toby Keith, Roy Orbison, George Strait, Amy Grant and many more. And his guitar and vocal skills weren't confined to the studio as he joined Buffett's touring Coral Reefer band, an association that continues to this day. McAnally has also produced several of Buffett's albums and written many of his songs.
So the question remains: Why? Why now? Why is his biggest success and notoriety as an artist happening after he's already achieved so much? McAnally is more than confirmed as one of the most accomplished and revered creative forces in the music business. He has nothing left to prove. Maybe this time, however, the music business has something to prove to Mac McAnally.
An Evening with Mac McAnally
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening ... 0?aff=eac2
In some ways, award-winning songwriter, instrumentalist, producer and artist Mac McAnally is a paradox.
He is beyond dispute one of the most respected musicians of our time. His peers have made that clear by honoring him as CMA Musician of the Year for an unprecedented nine years and electing him to the Nashville Songwriters Halls of Fame, Mississippi Musicians Hall of Fame, and Alabama Music Hall of Fame. For all that he has achieved, one dream remained elusive. Typically, it was Mac’s altruism, rather than any drive toward greater fame, that made it happen.
Music was the most obvious road for Lyman "Mac" McAnally to take from his Red Bay, Alabama birthplace and Belmont, Mississippi hometown. He was a guitar and piano prodigy who performed in clubs at 13, wrote his first song at 15 and landed as a Muscle Shoals studio musician at 18. Mac signed his first record deal, with Ariola, at 20 and launched two singles to moderate success on the Billboard Hot 100. "It's A Crazy World" peaked at No. 37 and "Minimum Love" topped out at No. 41.
His songwriting drew the attention of Jimmy Buffett and Hank Williams, Jr., both of whom cut McAnally songs. Alabama took his "Old Flame" to No. 1 in 1981. The song cemented his status as a hit maker, a reputation that has never waned. Reba McEntire, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band, and Brad Paisly are just some of the artists who cut Mac's songs over the next 20 years.
In the late '80s and '90s, McAnally became an in-demand producer, along the way working with Ricky Skaggs, Chris LeDoux and Little Feat, among others. He produced the band Sawyer Brown through their biggest successes and penned their signature hits including "Cafe On The Corner," "All These Years" and "Thank God For You."
Meanwhile, Mac's skills as a musician continued to bring calls that carried him into the studio. Over the course of his career he's built an enviable registry of credits that includes Toby Keith, Roy Orbison, George Strait, Amy Grant and many more. And his guitar and vocal skills weren't confined to the studio as he joined Buffett's touring Coral Reefer band, an association that continues to this day. McAnally has also produced several of Buffett's albums and written many of his songs.
So the question remains: Why? Why now? Why is his biggest success and notoriety as an artist happening after he's already achieved so much? McAnally is more than confirmed as one of the most accomplished and revered creative forces in the music business. He has nothing left to prove. Maybe this time, however, the music business has something to prove to Mac McAnally.
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