Danny Mayo

Danny Mayo
Birth nameDaniel Mayo
Born(1950-10-02)October 2, 1950 [1]
Gadsden, Alabama, U.S.
DiedOctober 2, 1999(1999-10-02) (aged 49)
Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
GenresCountry
Occupation(s)Songwriter

Daniel Mayo (October 2, 1950 – October 2, 1999) was an American songwriter, primarily known for writing country hits for artists such as Alabama, Tracy Byrd, Pirates of the Mississippi and Confederate Railroad. Byrd's "The Keeper of the Stars", which he wrote with Dickey Lee and Karen Staley, was named Song of the Year by the Country Music Association in 1995.[2]

Biography

Danny Mayo grew up in Gadsden, Alabama. He graduated Emma Sansom High School. He then joined the United States Navy and moved to Charleston, South Carolina.[3]

Personal life

He was married to Becky Thornhill (née Harwood), but they divorced before he moved to Nashville. They have two children, Aimee Mayo and Cory Mayo, both songwriters themselves.

Death

Mayo was staying at the Ramada Inn in Nashville for his 49th birthday celebration. His son, Cory, wrote his very first song for his father's birthday, Danny was managing and producing singer/songwriter, Tammy Cassidy from Troy, Indiana, who co-wrote and recorded the last Danny Mayo song, “A Heart's Point of View,” which was the title of Cassidy's 2003 album. However, when he did not arrive at Gabes Night Club, next door to the hotel, his friend and co-writer and owner of Tunesmith Entertainment, Nan Cassidy went to check on his welfare. Nan requested Hotel management to open the room 171 door, and upon doing so, Mayo was found dead from a heart attack.[4]

Discography

References

  1. ^ Alabama Music Hall of Fame link Archived 2012-02-24 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ "ACMs - Previous Winners - Song of the Year". About.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
  3. ^ Glencoe's Aimee and Cory Mayo follow their father's success in Nashville [1]
  4. ^ Danny Mayo, heart attack death