Longtime country music disc jockey Bill Mack, whose “Blue” became a hit for LeAnn Rimes and won a 1996 Grammy Award for Country Music Song of the Year, died Friday at age 88, his son said.
In a Facebook message, Mack’s son Billy Mack Smith said his father died Friday of COVID-19 but had underlying health conditions.
Mack’s “Midnight Cowboy Trucking Show” overnight program on clear channel WBAP-AM in Fort Worth kept truckers entertained for decades and earned him a place in the Country Music DJ Hall of Fame.
I’m deeply saddened to tell you that my Dad passed away early this morning due to COVID-19 with underlying conditions. He was an amazing father, grandfather, great grandfather and husband to my mom. I’m blessed to have had not only a great dad but my best friend as well. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Bub4Q2C02n
— Billy Mack (@BillyMackRadio) July 31, 2020
Mack later hosted programs on satellite radio and the syndicated “Country Crossroads." He also wrote “Drinking Champagne,” a song covered by George Strait, Dean Martin and Willie Nelson.
