Mel Tillis, the Country Music Hall of Famer known for his stammer when he spoke that disappeared when he sang, died Sunday morning of suspected respiratory failure. He was 85.
Tillis’ publicist, Don Murry Grubbs, told the Tennessean that the “Coca Cola Cowboy” singer never fully recovered from diverticulitis surgery in January 2016 and spent a month in the intensive care unit battling sepsis.
“Mel Tillis was a guy who had it all: He could write, he could sing and he could entertain an audience,” said Grand Ole Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs. “There’s a big difference between a concert and a show.