It's important to be very selective about who one associates with. The same goes with traffic accidents. I don't crash into just anybody. Oh, no. I only crash into celebrities and other V.I.P.'s For instance, one day, I rear-ended Mac Davis, Country Singer. Hey, I always wanted to meet him so I figured, "What the heck? I'll smash into him and say hello."
Just kidding. Actually, I was driving along . . . minding my own business . . . when a woman in front of both of us realized she had missed the freeway on-ramp and, rather than going around the block, slammed on her brakes. Mac then slammed on his brakes to avoid crashing into her and stopped just inches from her bumper. I, however, was busy glancing to the sides for cross traffic as I crossed the intersection and didn't notice Mac's car in front of me until it was too late. I slammed on my brakes and prepared for impact.
I had a Mazda RX-7 at the time and he had a Lexus. The low nose of my car scooped his up like a spatula until his rear bumper was actually resting on my trunk. He opened the door and jumped out to the ground. I could tell right away that he was not pleased. As I sat in my car trying to shake it off, I gradually realized who the man walking toward me was.
"Oh, great. I crashed into Mac Davis."
I got out of my car and quickly apologized. Mac took a deep breath and said, "Ah, it wasn't your fault, buddy. The lady in front of me stopped for no reason. I almost hit her myself."
The lady in front of him was an Asian driver, not that I'm saying anything about Asian drivers' atrocious driving skills, or making any suggestion that they shouldn't be allowed to have driver's licenses, because that would be wrong. (Hey, even my Asian friends joke around about their now legendary bad driving. Don't get all P.C. on me.)
Anyway, long story short, Mac did his best to handle it between us so my insurance premium wouldn't go up. He was a true gentleman through the entire ordeal. He even told me about a similar experience he had when he was in his early twenties, when he first started having some success as a songwriter. He was driving a new T-Bird - what he called his "In The Ghetto Car" because he bought it with the money he got for writing In The Ghetto, one of Elvis' most popular songs at the time. He was looking at a girl walking along the sidewalk, who was smiling back at him and admiring his new wheels, when wham-o. He ran right into the car in front of him.
I wasn't looking at a girl, and my car wasn't a T-Bird, but he still sympathized with people it happens to. He even told me to watch a Disneyland special he was doing later that week and he would wave to me. I watched and he did. I sent him a note (and a few poems) later in way of thanks.
Mac's car and mine were demolished and our necks were a little stiff the next day, but neither of us felt bad enough to seek medical attention. However, the lady who caused the accident, who had the least damage to her car (Mac's front bumper lightly tapped her rear bumper), and who told me she felt fine at the scene of the accident, claimed massive bodily injury and milked it for all it was worth.
My parents and I used to watch The Mac Davis Show when I was a kid, and I was always amazed at the part of the show where he would ask audience members a few questions about their lives, then proceed to make up an entire song about it right off the top of his head, usually with a humorous ending. The guy was/is remarkable.
His hits include I Believe in Music, Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me, and Lord It's Hard To Be Humble (When You're Perfect In Every Way). If you like country music, check him out.
This is just my way of repaying Mac's kindness and putting one more page on the internet to help further his career. The kind of class he exhibited isn't found much anymore. A true southern gent and a great artist. His improvisational songwriting was actually one of the things that made me want to be an artist myself. His free-wheeling creativity was amazing to me, and still is. He was also one of Elvis' best friends, right up to the end.
Please Google him and look into his work. You'll be glad you did.
Thanks, Mac.
Author notes
Here are the lyrics to my favorite Mac Davis song, Lord, It's Hard To Be Humble
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble
when you're perfect in every way.
I can't wait to look in the mirror
cause I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me.
I must be a hell of a man.
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble
but I'm doing the best that I can.
I used to have a girlfriend
but she just couldn't compete
with all of these love-starved women
who keep clamoring at my feet.
Well, I prob'ly could find me another
but I guess they're all in awe of me.
Who cares, I never get lonesome
cause I treasure my own company.
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble
when you're perfect in every way,
I can't wait to look in the mirror
cause I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me.
I must be a hell of a man.
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble
but I'm doing the best that I can.
I guess you could say I'm a loner,
a cowboy outlaw, tough and proud.
I could have lots of friends if I want to
but then I wouldn't stand out from the crowd.
Some folks say that I'm egotistical.
Hell, I don't even know what that means.
I guess it has something to do with
the way I fill out my skin tight blue jeans.
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble
when you're perfect in every way,
I can't wait to look in the mirror
cause I get better looking each day.
To know me is to love me.
I must be a hell of a man.
Oh Lord, it's hard to be humble
but I'm doing the best that I can.
- Mac Davis
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Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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Gorgeous story Mark, thanks for sharing!!!
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I loved your article. It was too funny, I love that you crash into famous people, I hope to walk in your footsteps one day, I would like in particular to crash into Reba, maybe then I could get her autograph
j/k! I loved the song too, that is so funny, I need to listen to that song! 
GREAT JOB!!!!
Criss xoxoxo -
well....
what a story you have to tell!!!
this was very pleasant to read and i really enjoyed it!!!
great stuff!
B
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P.S. Yes, I do remember North Dallas Forty. Great movie. Haven't seen it in a long time, though.
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Hi Maureen,
What a great story! I'm glad to hear that. Mac deserves it. Thanks for sharing that with me. I hope you're doing well.
M -
Google surprise...Mac Davis co-wrote "A Little Less Conversation" with Billy Strange for Elvis' movie "Live a Little, Love a Little" in 1968. Elvis took to the song immediately and sang the britches off it. The music might have remained a period piece had not the producers of "Ocean's Eleven" remake hauled it out of the mothballs to use in the film's soundtrack. Then, Dutch disc jockey Tom Helkenberg remixed the song for a Nike World Cup soccer commercial. After that, there was no stopping it...it became #1 worldwide and put Elvis back on top with the most #1 records!
Mac, reaping the rewards of the song's new found fame, said, "That's what I love about the music business."
Maureen
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Enjoyed your story about your close encounter with Mac Davis. Glad to hear he was such a gentleman considering the fact that his car had just been demolished! I loved "In The Ghetto" which was considered a 'risky' song to do at the time. I also love the other songs you listed. I've seen the movie called "North Dallas Forty" which Mac did with Nick Nolte. Nick was an older football player with lots of aches and pains from all the years of 'hard knocks'. It was a very good movie and I recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.
I'll be looking for Mac Davis on Google to see what he's been up to lately. I hope he's still writing songs!
♥ Maureen
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Comfort yourself with the knowledge that the immorality those kids exhibited will cause more trouble in their own lives than anyone else's. Little swines. I'd like to give them a good kick in the arse myself. I hope you're okay from your fall, and I'm glad better kids showed you some love afterward.
I don't know if everybody is born "good" so much as empty. Tabula rasa, as they say. In fact, I think we start out very selfish until our surroundings, society, parents, teachers, etc., make us better (or should.) Look at a baby crying or a child screaming for candy in the supermarket. Can that be classified as good? Until children learn some self-control and are tempered on a steady diet of no's, their attitude is "Give me what I want or I'll make your life a living hell." As we grow older, we learn that selfishness and the behavior that accompanies it is wrong, and we become better. So I don't know if I agree that we're born good and become bad. I think we're born selfish and become better, if we're blessed with wise parents who don't pamper us and encourage our inate self-centeredness. What do you think of that theory? lol
Hey, what does this have to do with Mac Davis?? haha
Be careful on the steps!
Mark -
Wonderful write here Mark. I'm sure Mac would be pleased! I've never heard of him (sorry to say) but will try to google him today.
You're right. Courtesy seems to be extinct or nearly so this day. So much for the "milk of human kindness"! Yesterday I was walking into school and there were 3 students in front of me, two boys and a girl. I missed a step and fell.
I don't know the boys but I teach the girl english language. They turned, saw me, chuckled to each other, turned and continued walking. I picked myself up, walked to the office and put antiseptic and band aids on both bleeding knees.
What was also interesting was that as I passed the classroom of the youngest students in the school and told them, they were all upset and said that they'd have helped had they been there. One of the little boys said he would have beat up the 2 older boys (even tho we all know he can't!lol) It reinforces my view that all people are born good. And that as they grow up, they just choose a path that's either good or bad.
Marissa.
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Absolutely the most interesting and entertaining thing that I have read in quite some time. I have always loved to hear of encounters with celebs (and I used to watch Mac on his variety show all the time) and this one was awesome. Thanks so much for sharing this. ~Jim
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A well written write,one small typo at the beginning where you refer to Mac as Mad(freudian slip?)This was interesting and kept me captivated with the imagery,the humour and I especially liked the essence of the singer that was revealed.In life we don`t often chose what occurs rather how we react to what occurs.How wonderful that neither yourself nor Mac got defensive or testosterone fuelled aggressively re the accident and sought to deal with the situation as opposed to turning it into debacle or dilemma.Fate deals us strange hands at times.This accident engendered your meeting and encouraged not negativity but positivity and creativity.I applaud that.How wonderful that he wrote such hits too,I have a lot of the king`s music including In the Ghetto,it always makes me cry.I love all types of music ,will check Macs out asap (am over the pond but can search)I am glad he stayed true to Elvis til the end,anyone can fawn over someone at the top of the tree but not everyone stays when that person needs a friend as they are falling out of the tree,I salute you as a trio,the one and only Elvis,the one and only Mac Davis and the one and only Mark Rickerby,love and light,Yvette
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I love that song!!
It's hard to be humble!!! We used to sing it all the time as loud as we could.
I used to have a boyufriend, but I guess he just couldn't compete.....
Thank you for adding humor and lightness to my day, yeah I am a closet country music fan!
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