Danny Mayo

Danny "Bear" Mayo (October 2, 1950 - October 2, 1999) was an American songwriter, primarily known for writing country hits for artists such as Alabama, Tracy Byrd, Pirates of the Mississippi and Confederate Railroad. He co-write, "The Keeper of the Stars" with Dickey Lee and Karen Staley, which was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1995.^[2]

Biography

Danny Mayo grew up in Gadsden, Alabama. He graduated Emma Sansom High School. He then joined the United States Navy and moved to Charleston, South Carolina.^[3]

Personal life

He was married to Becky Thornhill (née Harwood), but they divorced before he moved to Nashville. They have two children, Aimee Mayo and Cory Mayo, both songwriters themselves.

Death

Mayo was staying at the Ramada Inn in Nashville for his 49th birthday celebration. His son, Cory , wrote his first song ever for his father's birthday. However, when he didn't show up to the Broken Spoke Saloon, a songwriters cafe in the hotel, friends went to check on him. Hotel management had to open the room door and found him dead of a heart attack.^[4]

Discography

• Alabama: "If I Had You"
• Confederate Railroad: "Jesus and Mama", "She Took It Like a Man", "She Never Cried"
• Pirates of the Mississippi: "Feed Jake", "Speak of the Devil", "Anything Goes", "Redneck Rock & Roll", "My Kinda Woman"
• Tracy Byrd: "The Keeper of the Stars"
• Sammy Kershaw: "Cantaloupes on Mars"
• Rick Trevino: "The Pain"
• Hank Williams Jr.: "It's a Start"
• Jeff Carson: "The Stone"
• Gene Watson: "Change Her Mind"
• Marlon Jackson: "Baby Tonight"
• South 65: "Dream Large"
• Pearl River: "Mr. Right Now"

References

1. ^ Alabama Music Hall of Fame link
2. ^ "ACMs - Previous Winners - Song of the Year". About.com. http://countrymusic.about.com/library/blprevacmsong.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-12. 
3. ^ Glencoe's Aimee and Cory Mayo follow their father's success in Nashville [1]
4. ^ Danny Mayo, heart attack death