Singer-Songwriter Mac Davis Dead at 78 Following Complications from Heart Surgery

PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Mac Davis

Music legend Mac Davis has died. He was 78.

Davis died on Tuesday, the Country Music Association confirmed in a press release.

"Today our Country community lost an amazing entertainer, songwriter and artist. I remember watching Mac's TV show as a kid as well as his three years co-hosting the CMA Awards with Barbara Mandrell, which proved his command of the TV medium as well as the music," said Sarah Trahern, CMA's Chief Executive Officer, in the release.

She continued: ″Personally, though, I am saddened to recall a wonderful day spent with Mac and his wife Lise Gerard at our CMA Songwriters Series show at the Library of Congress just a few years ago. He held command of the room backstage with lively stories and a genuine love of the craft of storytelling. When he performed "In the Ghetto" that night, fellow songwriter Pam Tillis pointed out that sadly the song is as pertinent today as it was when Mac wrote it in the late 1960s. His timeless artistry will be sorely missed."

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Mac Davis

On Monday, the country singer-songwriter's family revealed that he had been experiencing severe complications after a serious heart procedure.

″We are sorry to report that legendary singer/songwriter Mac Davis is critically ill following heart surgery in Nashville,″ his family announced in a brief statement on Twitter. ″Your love and prayers will be deeply appreciated at this time.″

Kenny Chesney shared his memories of Davis following the star's passing.

"I met Mac as a young artist just starting out on my journey, when he was already a legend and a songwriting hero to me. He welcomed me into his home, and turned that tremendous creative light on me. Even though he'd written 'In the Ghetto' for Elvis and had so many incredible hits of his own, he made me feel like what I was doing mattered."

He adds, "A small-town boy who'd achieved the greatest kinds of fame, he remained a good guy, a family man. That was Mac: a giant heart, quick to laugh and a bigger creative spirit. I was blessed to have it shine on me. And Mac, who was joyous, funny and created a family around him, never stopped writing great songs, creating music and inspiring everyone around him."

Chesney concluded, "He loved his wife Lisa and his kids, and all kinds of people. He kept in touch, always a kind word, a new joke or a piece of song he was working on, which made him a blessing to everyone who came into his life."

Fellow country star Dolly Parton, 74, shared the emotional announcement along with the hashtag ″#PrayforMacDavis."

RELATED: Singer-Songwriter Mac Davis Is 'Critically Ill' After Heart Surgery

The Texas native began his decades-long career in 1969 as a songwriter for Elvis Presley. He also wrote Presley's hit songs "In the Ghetto," "Memories" and "Don't Cry Daddy."

Additionally, Davis is behind iconic tunes like Glen Campbell's "Everything a Man Could Ever Need" along with Kenny Rogers & The First Edition's "Something's Burning." The late Rogers died earlier this year.

Davis has amassed several hit singles and notable accolades of his own including "Baby Don't Get Hooked on Me" and "Stop and Smell the Roses."

The late star was named ACM Entertainer of the Year in 1974 and was inducted into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2000. Not long after in 2006, he was inducted into the National Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He hosted The Mac Davis Show, a variety series on NBC from 1974 to 1976 and made a name for himself as an all-around entertainer having involvement in film, stage acting and formerly working as a TV and radio personality.

Davis appeared on the big screen in memorable movies including North Dallas Forty, Cheaper to Keep Her, The Sting II and Jackpot. He earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1998.