Mack Rice facts for kids

Bonny "Mack" Rice (November 10, 1933 – June 27, 2016) was an American songwriter and singer. He was also known as Sir Mack Rice. His most famous song was "Mustang Sally". This song became his biggest hit as a solo artist. He also helped write "Respect Yourself" with Luther Ingram.

Life and Music Career

Mack Rice was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi. In 1950, his family moved to Detroit, Michigan. There, he started working in R&B music. He first performed with a group called the Five Scalders in 1956.

From 1957 to 1963, he was part of a group called the Falcons. Other famous members of this group included Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, and Joe Stubbs. After leaving The Falcons, Mack Rice started performing as a solo singer.

However, he found his greatest success writing songs for other artists. He wrote for record labels like Stax and others. He began his solo singing career at Stax in 1967. He later recorded with Atco Records starting in 1968. Mack Rice is special because he worked with both Motown and Stax Records. These were two very important music companies.

As a solo artist, he had two songs that made it onto the music charts. "Mustang Sally" reached number 15 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1965. His song "Coal Man" reached number 48 on the soul music chart in 1969.

Famous Songs He Wrote

Mack Rice was most successful as a songwriter. Besides "Mustang Sally," which became a huge hit for Wilson Pickett in 1966, he also wrote "Respect Yourself." This song was a big hit for The Staple Singers.

He wrote many other popular songs too. Some of these include "Betcha Can't Kiss Me (Just One Time)" and "Cheaper to Keep Her." He also wrote "Cadillac Assembly Line," "Money Talks," and "Cold Women With Warm Hearts." Other songs are "Do the Funky Penguin, Pt. 1," "It Sho Ain't Me," and "Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin'."

Many famous artists have sung songs written by Mack Rice. These include the Staple Singers, Ike and Tina Turner, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, and Joe Cocker. Other artists include Shirley Brown, Rufus Thomas, Etta James, and Billy Eckstine. Even Eddie Floyd, Buddy Guy, The Rascals, The Kingsmen, Wilson Pickett, Albert Collins, Busta Rhymes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Otis Clay, and The Blues Brothers have performed his songs. The Blues Brothers even sang one of his songs in their movie Blues Brothers 2000.

Later Years and Passing

In 1992, Mack Rice released his first solo album called Right Now. He was backed by a soul band called The Dynatones. On this album, he sang some of his hit songs again. He also included some new tunes.

Mack Rice continued to live in the Detroit area. He passed away at his home in Detroit on June 27, 2016. He was 82 years old. He died from problems related to Alzheimer's disease.