Country music legend Mel Tillis is dead.
His publicist said the 85-year-old member of the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame died in Ocala on Sunday morning.
Tillis' career spanned more than six decades, with him writing more than 60 albums and three-dozen number-one singles.
Many of those songs were recorded by other country music stars such as Kenny Rogers, George Strait and Ricky Skaggs.
He overcame a stammer in his speech that was brought on by a childhood bout with malaria. Tillis was mocked for his stammer, but he used it in comedy on stage and screen.
Before making his way to Nashville, the songwriter briefly attended the University of Florida.