The other day, while looking through our record collection, we stumbled upon a compilation of Mel Street's hits from the 1970s. His was a story of short-lived success and of a fatal gunshot that tragically ended the career of a magnificent country vocalist.
There was a time when a totally unknown singer could come to Nashville, cut a song backed by the finest musicians in town, and make it into a hit. This was the case of Mel Street and his 1972 hit "Borrowed Angel," one of the best cheating songs in country music history. It did not happen overnight, though. Mel Street's road to success was long and rocky: in order to provide for his family, he had to combine singing in nightclubs with several different jobs as an electrician and auto repair man. Before coming to Nashville, he lived with his family in places like Ohio, West Virginia, and upstate New York (for a while he was employed by the Niagara Power Project), singing on radio stations and TV shows.
It was through the help of businessman Jim Prater, who caught one of his television broadcasts out of Bluefield, WV, that Mel got to record "Borrowed Angel," one of his own compositions. The record, steeped in the country-pop-cum-honky-tonk tradition of George Jones and Billy Sherrill, made it to the Top Ten in 1972. It not only showcased Mel's gift for songwriting, but also his very personal style of singing, which was perfect for delivering all the pathos of a cheating song. This is the kind of theme that Leroy Van Dyke had explored with so much success in "Walk On By" and "If a Woman Answers (Hang Up the Phone)" and that would prove equally successful for Moe Bandy in years to come. Mel's follow-up to his first hit, "Lovin' on Back Streets" (which peaked in the Top Five in 1972) treads on similar ground, being another take on the subject of extramarital affairs, which would actually become a leitmotif of many of his subsequent releases.
The vast majority of Mel's records were released on small independent labels, and songs like "Lovin' on Borrowed Time," "You Make Me Feel More Like a Man," and "I Met a Friend of Yours Today" all made the charts in the mid-1970s. They are the work of a master stylist who, like George Jones or Ray Price, understood the meaning of song lyrics and made them believable, turning them into country masterpieces. In 1978, following a short stint with Polydor Records, Mel signed with Mercury, one of the majors. Thus, his professional career was taking an upward turn, yet his personal life was quickly deteriorating: Mel plunged into depression due to the pressure derived from the committments of his career and began drinking heavily. He wound up shooting himself on the day he turned 45, tragically ending a six-year run of hits and leaving us to wonder at what could have been had he not made that drastic decision. George Jones, the man on whom Mel modeled his style, showed his admiration for the Virginia-born singer by singing at his funeral.
In spite of his short career, Mel Street ranks high among 1970s country stylists. His approach to country singing is very engaging, and although we can spot touches of George Jones here and of Lefty Frizzell there, his style sounds all his own. Unfortunately, although his life and career are well documented in Dennis Schuler and Larry Delp's Mel Street: A Country Legend (Mountain State Press, 2002), a great deal of his recorded output is not available on CD yet. Hopefully some reissue label will right the wrong and restore Mel Street's legacy to the place where it really belongs.
Cowboy Anton & Cowgirl Erin.
5 comments:
I grew up in Bluefield WV and remember him singing on the TV with other local singers. At first I did not care for his singing but when his song Borrowed Angel came out I liked it. I think he even worked on a neighbors house as it was built as an electrician. I slos remember the new hipe when he went to Nashville and then the sudden news of his death a few years latter.
Thanks for your comment. We've always loved the music of Mel Street; in many ways, he was ahead of his time and recorded songs that should have made it straight to number one. His death was a big tragedy, and we're sure that if he hadn't committed suicide, he'd be as highly considered today as George Jones, Waylon Jennings, and the like. We hope everything's going well in Bluefield, WV. Thanks again for visiting our website! :)
Cowboy Anton & Cowgirl Erin.
i like music contry my mom was born texas today i m from brasil i ives sao paulo i likes music contry i couldnt to travel because i m jail mr chairman globo tv mr roberto irineu marinho adress my jail rue doctor chucri zaidan 46 morumbi at sao paulo
To fully understand just how much Mel Street accomplished in his short yet rather remarkable career. One just has to travel up the old dirt road at Garden Creek near the coal town of Grundy VA and take a look down at the homestead where Mel Street was born, deep back in the mountains of VA. Then drive back through the mountains down to Nashville and look at the Grand Ole Opry house and all it's marvels. It's hard to imagine! I was talking the other day with a friend of mine, Mitchel Moser who played bass fidel for Carl Story for many years. He told me how they would stop at Mel's Body Shop on Route 52 outside of Bluefied where Mel fixed cars and Mel would wipe off his hands and get out his guitar and play songs he wrote. He remembered on one occassion he played a song called, "Borrowed Angel" and asked Carl what he thought and Carl replied, "I think you need to record it Mel, it'll go all the way to the top." Well, I guess Carl was right, it turned out to be one of the all time great country classics of our time. By the way Carl Story wrote the song, "Over Looked an Orchad While Searching For a Rose" another great classic. The achievements made by Mel Street are just amazing. Mel had the looks, talent, personality and most of all he had the ability to dream!!!
Thanks so much Cowboy & Cowgirl for all you folks do for country music. Kudos!
Dennis Schuler Sr. co-author Mel Street-A Country Legend.
I was just remenicing about old friends and typed in Mels name and was surpised it came up!
I too grew up in bluefield and remember him and his family well. I remember his brothers and their families well. They were all such wonderfull people! They were very much like family to me when I was a teenager. I was not much into country music at the time, so mostly rember them as just great friends.
I was able to visit Mel and his family after they moved to Nashville and see their beautiful new home on land they named Angel Acres. They were so very deserving of this and I was so happy for them. They were the same loving people I had always known.
It was such a shock to hear about Mel. I was out of the country at the time.
I moved away from Bluefield many years ago and have only been back to visit once or twice, but the memories will last my lifetime.
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