Wiley Laverne "Mack" Self (22 May 1930 – 14 June 2011) was an American rockabilly singer, songwriter and musician and was a member of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.
Self was born in Calico Bottoms, Phillips County, Arkansas, one of four children, and started playing guitar as a child, often performing with his friend C.W. Gatlin. In 1955, after playing on radio station Kxjk in Forrest City, Arkansas, disc jockey Hal Webber encouraged him to make a recording of his song "Easy to Love". The demo recording then found its way to Sam Phillips of Sun Records, who invited him to audition. Self's first recordings were not released, but Phillips encouraged him to write more songs. He returned to the recording studio in March 1957 to work with producer Jack Clement, and re-recorded "Easy to Love" along with several new songs on which he was backed by guitarist Therlow Brown and bass player Jimmy Evans.
"Easy to Love" was then released in 1957 as Sun 273, but by that time its style was regarded as somewhat old-fashioned and it was not a hit. Sam Phillips was now spending most of his promotional budget on Jerry Lee Lewis. However, Self returned to the recording studio in 1959, and released a second single, "Mad At You" / "Willie Brown". He continued to perform despite his lack of recording success. He also continued to write songs, setting up his own publishing company.
For all his back-country charm, Mack Self remains beloved by rockabilly fans and collectors. This is pretty easy to understand. Years of Sun archaeology has unearthed undeniable rockabilly gems by Mack like Vibrate and Lovin' Memories. Although they were never released during the 1950s, these tracks provide strong credentials for Mack's Hall of Fame status. At a personal level, Mack Self is a man who, as Johnny Cash sang, "was there when it happened." Self's sessions included players like Roland Janes, Stan Kesler, Jimmy Van Eaton, Johnny Bernero, W. S. Holland, Billy Riley and Martin Willis.
The man in the control room hitting the record button was either Jack Clement or Sam Phillips. The bottom line is that Mack's name appears on nearly a dozen tape boxes full of songs recorded at what he calls "that little ole rinky dink studio" in Memphis. He's the real deal. In fact, it's good to remind ourselves that Sam Phillips auditioned both Mack Self and Harold Jenkins (a/k/a Conway Twitty) – an Arkansas running buddy of Mack's – at just about the same time. Phillips passed on Twitty and decided to work with Mack.
In 1962 and 1964, Mack recorded six songs for the Zone label in Memphis, with producer Chips Moman. These were all country, as were the recordings he made in the early 1970s for Twin Records. Self quit the nightclub circuit in 1963, devoting his time to raising his six children and to running his heating, air and sheet metal business in Helena, Arkansas. He returned to undertake occasional performances after 1992, with his Silver Dollar Band, and was inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in 1993.
Mack Self died on June 14, 2011 in West Helena, Arkansas.
(Edited
from Wikipedia, & Bear Family Records)