Joe South Dies Of Heart Attack In Atlanta, Aged 72

Joe South dies at the age of 72. A creative and commercial zenith in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Joe South was known for great hits Games People Play and Walk A Mile In My Shoes. According to The Washington Post, South, real name Joseph Souter, died at his home in northeast Atlanta. The Coroner's Office confirmed that South had died after having a heart attack.

"He's one of the greatest songwriters of all time," said Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group, which published South's music. "His songs have touched so many lives. He's such a wonderful guy and loved by many." It was a strong tribute for a man who only really found success for a short period of his life, however many view him as an underrated quantity, an artist who worked with some of the greats including Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel, as a session musician.

His best known hit was probably Games People Play, which managed to make it to number 12 on the US Billboard Singles Charts in 1969 and won him two Grammy Awards for Best Contemporary Song and Song Of The Year. After 1971, though, he never returned to the album or singles charts in the US; South was heavily affected by the suicide of his brother Tommy Souter that year and apparently moved to Maui where he retired from recording for a time.