Mack Self
Encyclopedia
Wiley Laverne "Mack" Self (22 May 1930 – 14 June 2011) was an American
rockabilly
singer, songwriter and musician, who recorded for Sun Records
in the 1950s and was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
.
Self was born in Calico Bottoms, Phillips County, Arkansas
, one of four children, and started playing guitar as a child, often performing with his friend C.W. Gatlin. In 1955, after playing on radio station KXJK in Forrest City, Arkansas, disc jockey
Hal Webber encouraged him to make a recording of his song "Easy to Love". The demo recording
then found its way to Sam Phillips
of Sun Records, who invited him to audition. Self's first recordings were not released, but Phillips encouraged him to write more songs. He returned to the recording studio in March 1957 to work with producer Jack Clement
, and re-recorded "Easy to Love" along with several new songs on which he was backed by guitarist Therlow Brown and bass player Jimmy Evans. "Easy to Love" was then released in 1957 as Sun 273, but by that time its style was regarded as somewhat old-fashioned and it was not a hit. However, Self returned to the recording studio in 1959, and released a second single, "Mad At You" / "Willie Brown". He continued to perform despite his lack of recording success, and in the early 1960s recorded several country
singles for the Zone
label in Memphis
with producer Chips Moman
. He also continued to write songs, setting up his own publishing company.
Self gave up the music business in 1963, and established a heating, air and sheet metal business in Helena, Arkansas
. He returned to undertake occasional performances after 1992, with his Silver Dollar Band, and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1993.
His recordings for the Sun label were reissued on CD by Bear Family Records
in the early 1990s, and - with a number of unreleased recordings - by DeeGee Records in Germany
in 1997.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rockabilly
Rockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
singer, songwriter and musician, who recorded for Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
in the 1950s and was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on the internet on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre....
.
Self was born in Calico Bottoms, Phillips County, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, one of four children, and started playing guitar as a child, often performing with his friend C.W. Gatlin. In 1955, after playing on radio station KXJK in Forrest City, Arkansas, disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Hal Webber encouraged him to make a recording of his song "Easy to Love". The demo recording
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
then found its way to Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
of Sun Records, who invited him to audition. Self's first recordings were not released, but Phillips encouraged him to write more songs. He returned to the recording studio in March 1957 to work with producer Jack Clement
Jack Clement
Jack Henderson Clement is an American singer, songwriter, and a record and film producer.Raised and educated in Memphis, Jack Clement was performing at an early age...
, and re-recorded "Easy to Love" along with several new songs on which he was backed by guitarist Therlow Brown and bass player Jimmy Evans. "Easy to Love" was then released in 1957 as Sun 273, but by that time its style was regarded as somewhat old-fashioned and it was not a hit. However, Self returned to the recording studio in 1959, and released a second single, "Mad At You" / "Willie Brown". He continued to perform despite his lack of recording success, and in the early 1960s recorded several country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singles for the Zone
Zone Records
Zone Records is the personal record label on which DJ Icey releases all of his music, along with other artists.-Discography:*Zone 001 DJ Icee Energy Traxx Volume 1*Zone 002 DJ Icey Encyclopedia Funktanica*Zone 003 DJ Icee Beats-A-Rockin...
label in Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
with producer Chips Moman
Chips Moman
Lincoln Wayne "Chips" Moman is an American record producer, guitarist, and songwriter. As a record producer, Moman is known for recording Elvis Presley, Bobby Womack, Carla Thomas, and Merrilee Rush, as well as guiding the career of the Box Tops in Memphis, Tennessee during the 1960s...
. He also continued to write songs, setting up his own publishing company.
Self gave up the music business in 1963, and established a heating, air and sheet metal business in Helena, Arkansas
Helena, Arkansas
Helena is the eastern portion of Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, a city in Phillips County, Arkansas. As of the 2000 census, this portion of the city population was 6,323. Helena was the county seat of Phillips County until January 1, 2006, when it merged its government and city limits with...
. He returned to undertake occasional performances after 1992, with his Silver Dollar Band, and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1993.
His recordings for the Sun label were reissued on CD by Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records
Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label that specializes in reissues of archival material ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.-History:...
in the early 1990s, and - with a number of unreleased recordings - by DeeGee Records in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1997.