It hit in 1984. And it hit in a massive way.

1984 and 1985 were the years of "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On". If you were a country music fan, upright and taking oxygen, and you heard it on the radio. you turned it up and you sang along.

You couldn't resist.

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The man singing that song came out of the music and dance clubs in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Born in Checotah, Oklahoma and raised in Okmulgee, Mel McDaniel first came to notice on the country music scene in the 1970's when he landed a job as a demo singer and songwriter with Combine Music. Mel had several Top 40 hits, but perhaps his introduction to a wider audience came in 1981 with his first Top Ten hit "Louisiana Saturday Night" (I love that fiddle!).

More Top 10 hit's followed, like "Right In The Palm Of Your Hand", "Take Me To The Country", "Big Ole Brew" and "I Call It Love".

But it was in late 1984 that he released the song that would be a chart-topping smash. "Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On" was the one that established Mel as a bona-fide country music star. And he followed it up with more hits, like "Let It Roll (Let It Rock)" and "Stand Up".

If you wanted some dancin' party country music, you wanted Mel McDaniel!

One of Mel's career highlights was becoming a member of the revered Grand Ole Opry on January 11, 1986. So whatever happened to Country Star Mel McDaniel?

In November of 1996 Mel suffered a near fatal fall into an orchestra pit while performing in Louisiana, which effectively ended his touring career. Then in 2009 Mel suffered a heart attack and was put in a medically induced coma in a Nashville area hospital.

Mel recovered, but in February of 2011 he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mel passed away on March 31st in 2011 at the much too young age of 68.

Wikipedia Contributed To This Article

From Frybread to Pheasants - Here are South Dakota's Official State Things

Every state in our nation has chosen things that represent the state in one way or another to be official state things. Like a flower, or animal. South Dakota is no different.

The Mount Rushmore has a state flower. But did you know we also have a state tree and a state fish? Yes, we even have a state code.

Here is what we have so far in Wyoming. Thanks to the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office for the info:

 

 

 

 

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