Bill Mack

Bill Mack, better known as "the Midnight Cowboy," was born June 4, 1929, in Shamrock, Texas. He began in radio at his hometown station KEVA in Shamrock in January 1949 and spent the early years of his career in Amarillo, Wichita Falls, and Lubbock before settling in Fort Worth. On March 2, 1969, he first hosted the midnight to 5 am program at WBAP radio, where he earned the moniker "the Midnight Cowboy." His program reached most of the continental United States, first as The Country Road Show, then US 1 Trucking Show, and eventually Midnight Cowboy Trucking Show, becoming popular with long-haul truckers traveling America’s highways late at night. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1999 for his work as "the Midnight Cowboy," a program he hosted for more than 30 years. He was also an accomplished country western songwriter, credited on more than 85 albums and singles. His most popular songs were "Drinking Champagne," which earned a platinum record and BMI Million Air Club membership for more than a million radio plays, and "Blue," which won a Grammy for Country Song of the Year in 1997. Bill Mack died in Dallas on July 31, 2020. From 1969 to the 2000s, he brought music to countless late-night travelers and joy through radios across the country.

Shamrock, Texas · United States