Mel Waiters Dead at 58

According to The Urban Daily, southern soul superstar Mel Waiters passed this morning after a bout with cancer.

He brought us hits such as "Hole in the Wall," "The Smaller the Club, the Bigger the Party" and "Got My Whiskey."

One source reports that Mel Waiters was born on June 25, 1956 in San Antonio, Texas. He sang in R&B clubs while in his teens, later also singing in a church choir. Waiters spent some time as a disc jockey on local radio, meanwhile continuing to perform whenever opportunities arose and was fortunate to be offered regular work singing at military bases. Waiters began attracting wider audiences on the R&B circuit and in 1996 and again two years later he won the Jackson Music Award. He enjoyed chart success with 'Hit It And Quit It' from his 1995 debut I'm Serious. Another important single success was 'Got My Whiskey' from his third album, Woman In Need.

Influenced primarily by Teddy Pendergrass, Waiters' smooth vocal style and his leaning towards slow, soulful ballads continued to bring him steadily more attention and his fourth album Material Things made the Billboard Top 100 R&B charts. The attendant single 'Hole In The Wall' was also a big seller. Among other hit singles have been 'Man Shoes', 'Show You How To Love Again', 'How Can I Get Next To You' and 'The Smaller The Club'. Relaxed and unpretentious, Waiters' material and his approach to it has made him a popular and much-heard radio attraction.

Mel Waiters was one of the more popular southern soul artists to tour the Southeast, performing for sold-out crowds, who always gave him a standing ovation.... Mostly because they were already standing from dancing to his music. The industry has lost another great one, and one thing is for sure: Wherever he is, there's a party going on!