Mack Rice

Bonny "Mack" Rice (born November 10, 1933, Clarksdale, Mississippi), is an American songwriter,[1] whose compositions have been performed by many well-known artists, including The Staple Singers, Ike and Tina Turner, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, Shirley Brown, Rufus Thomas, Etta James, Billy Eckstine, Eddie Floyd, Buddy Guy, The Rascals, The Kingsmen, Wilson Pickett, Albert Collins, Busta Rhymes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Otis Clay and The Blues Brothers (in Blues Brothers 2000).

Some of his better-known songs include "Respect Yourself", "Betcha Can't Kiss Me (Just One Time)", "Cheaper to Keep Her", "Cadillac Assembly Line", "Money Talks", "Cold Women With Warm Hearts", "Do the Funky Penguin, Pt. 1", "It Sho Ain't Me", "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'", among others. His best-known composition and only hit as a solo performer is "Mustang Sally."

Rice began his work in the R&B field in the 1950s based in Detroit, performing with the Five Scalders in 1956 and with the Falcons (fellow band members included Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett and Joe Stubbs) from 1957 to 1963. He performed as a solo vocalist in the years to follow, but his biggest successes were as songwriter for other artists on labels like Stax and others in the 1960s and following decades. He began his solo vocalist career at Stax in 1967, recording on Atco Records beginning in 1968. Rice is one of the few musicians whose career touched both Motown and Stax Records.

In 1992, backed by the soul band The Dynatones, Rice released his first solo album, "Right Now" on Blue Suit Records, recorded and mixed by Steve Scharren at Scharren Studios in Toledo, Ohio. On it he reprises a number of his hit songs along with a mixture of new tunes.

Rice lives in the Detroit area, and is still performing.

References

  1. ↑ Warner, Jay (2006-04-01). American singing groups: a history from 1940 to today. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 179–. ISBN 978-0-634-09978-6. Retrieved August 2, 2011.

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