Joe South dies at 72, his music publisher said on Thursday. South performed hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s such as "Games People Play" and "Walk A Mile In My Shoes" and also penned songs including "Down in the Boondocks" for other artists.
Joe South, whose real name was Joseph Souter, died Wednesday at his home in Buford, Ga., northeast of Atlanta, according to Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group. The company published South's music. Lowery said South died of heart failure, but did not know any other details.
Beginning in the late 1960s, South began his successful career with his catchy songs. Billy Joe Royal scored a hit with his cover of "Down in the Boondocks" in 1965, and Deep Purple had one with "Hush." Then South won Grammy Awards for song of the year and best contemporary song of 1969 for his own recording of "Games People Play."
South had hits with "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes." He collected a Grammy nomination for country singer Lynn Anderson's recording of "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden."
Joe South is survived by a son, Craig, and a granddaughter. His first marriage ended in divorce and his second wife died in the late 90s.
South largely disappeared from public view after his brother, Tommy, a drummer with whom he often recorded, committed suicide in 1971. In 2009 he released a new song for the first time in many years, "Oprah Cried."
