Mel Tillis

Though his off-stage persona hinged on a broadly comic presence that often poked good-natured fun at his trademark vocal stutter, Mel Tillis possessed serious talents as both a singer and songwriter in the country vein, racking up six No. 1 singles and a slew of Top 10 hits over the course of a five-decade career. He found initial success in the late 1950s, penning songs for country stars like Webb Pierce and Ray Price before launching his own …