Mel McDaniel

Like a thousand other teenagers in the ’50s, Mel McDaniel saw Elvis Presley on TV and knew what he wanted to do with his life. But most teens don’t grow up to write songs like “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On,” turn an obscure Bruce Springsteen tune into a country smash, go fishing in Alaska, or become a member of the Grand Ole Opry at the age of 44.

The Opry’s 60th anniversary special on CBS-TV, in fact, closed with “The Grandest Lady of Them All,” a hit Mel had written for Conway Twitty in 1978, long before he ever dreamed of joining the institution.

Born in Checotah, Oklahoma, Mel grew up in Okmulgee, the son of a truck driving father, who he barely knew. At age 14, he taught himself the guitar chords to “Frankie and Johnny” and first performed publicly at a high-school talent contest. He married his school-days sweetheart and made a go of music in Tulsa. His first journey to Nashville, however, resulted in little more than a job at a gas station and a disillusioned heart.

As if taking a cue from a Johnny Horton hit, he headed north to Alaska, where he honed his skills playing to packed houses in Anchorage. Two years later, he returned to Nashville and landed a job as a demo singer and songwriter with Combine Music. Through the efforts of renowned music publisher Bob Beckham, Mel signed to Capitol Records in 1976 and released his first single, “Have a Dream on Me.” His career finally took off with “Louisiana Saturday Night” in 1981 and other Top 10 hits which helped define the ’80s country sound: “Right in the Palm of Your Hand” (which was later covered by Alan Jackson), “Take Me to the Country,” “Big Ole Brew,” and “I Call It Love.”

While on stage in Lousiana in 1996, Mel was nearly killed after falling into an unmarked orchestra pit. Though he was unable to tour for years afterwards, and still walks with the aid of a cane, he has returned to the performing and songwriting life he chose long ago.

Even with hit after hit of his own and top tunes penned for others, his 1984 chart-topper “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On” remains his signature number. The song earned Grammy and CMA Award nominations and essentially did what Mel always said he wanted to do: “I wanted to be a singer because I wanted to make people feel good with my music.”