Mel Waiters
Mel Waiters (June 25, 1956 – May 28, 2015) was an American R&B singer born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, United States. In the early 1970s, he began singing in the church choir and nightclubs. Additionally, he was a radio DJ and entertainer on military bases around this time.[1] In the mid 1990s, he achieved national fame with his first single "Hit It and Quit It." He gave the only copy of his new CD, the soon-to-be Got My Whiskey, to Tommy Couch Jr. at Malaco Records in Jackson, Mississippi, and was subsequently brought onto the label.[2]
Waiters became popular on the blues festival and touring circuit in the South, and was known for songs about partying and romance.[3] In 1999, his fourth album Material Things made it to the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[4] He claimed that Teddy Pendergrass was the main influence on his singing style. Waiters was featured in a cover story of the February 2007 issue of Living Blues magazine.[5]
On May 28, 2015, Mel Waiters died of cancer.[1]
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-10-28. Retrieved 2018-08-15.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Music Beat: Mel Waiters is a master of Southern soul". San Antonio Express-News. October 15, 2013. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- Rockwell, Curtis (May 31, 2015). "Soul and blues singer Mel Waiters dead at age 58". Gulflive.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- Chang, Julie (March 23, 2012). "Blues fest jams lots of music into one night". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
- Wyatt, Doug. "Blues festival gets down and dirty". Savannah Morning News. Retrieved February 7, 2020.