Mel Tillis, famed for his recording career and songwriting as he was for his lifelong stutter, died early Sunday morning in Ocala, Florida, following a lengthy illness. A representative confirmed the singer’s death, citing respiratory failure as the suspected cause. He was 85. As a songwriter, he was known for hits that included the Bobby Bare single “Detroit City,” Webb Pierce’s “I’m Tired” and the 1969 crossover tune for Kenny Rogers & the First Edition, “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town.”
Mel Tillis, Country Entertainer and Songwriter, Dead at 85
