Chords for The Late [ Mel Street ] Oct.21.1933--Oct.21.1978

It was 60 years ago today that one of the most popular country stars of the 70s was born.
Mel Street charted 23 hits during that period and influenced many of today's stars, including Sammy Kershaw.
Today, we remember the late Mel Street.
[F] ♪♪
From the mountains of Virginia to the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, Mel Street took country music [E] by storm in 1972
with his self-penned, Borrowed Angel.
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_ _ _ [A] _
_ _ [E] _ _ By the end of the [F#] year, Mel was back on the charts with his second big hit, Lovin' on Backstreet.
[E] ♪♪ _ _
_ _ _ _ [B] _ The [F#] hit singles and albums continued [E] the next few years.
Mel also [C#m] became a concert favorite and toured heavily.
By 1976, Mel [B] changed his look, but his soulful country singing remained the same with this top ten hit.
[E] _ ♪♪
_ [B] _ _ _
[A] _ _ _ _ _ _ [E] _ _
_ [B] _ _ _ _ [E] _ Increasing demands on Mel began to take [F#] a toll on his personal life.
His manager, Jim Prater, recalled the conflict.
Mel loved every second he was on stage. _ _
The interim between home and stage, he despised.
On his [B] birthday in 1978, [F#] Mel took his own life, but his memory [B] lives on in his music.
His influence [F#] is starting to show up more now, after he's been gone 15 years, than ever,
because so many people are cutting his songs again.
[F] _ ♪♪
_ [A#] ♪♪
_ [F] _ _ _ _
_ _ _ [C] _ _ _ [F] _ _
[Am] _ _ [D] _ _ _ ♪♪
[A] _
_ _ Something that always struck me about the [F#] song was how great the lyrics [G] were, and how great [A] the melody was.
That seemed to be a part of the song that has stood up against the test of time.
♪♪
_ [E] _ _ _
[A] _ _ [F] _ _ _ _ _ [C] _
_ _ [F] _ _ _ [E] We mentioned that Sammy Kershaw