Songwriter Joe South, of 'Games People Play,' dies at 72

Joe South, the man behind many of your favorite hits from the 1960s and 1970s, has passed away at the age of 72 on Wednesday (Sept. 5), his music publisher tells the AP. South, whose real name was Joseph Souter, died at his Georgia home northeast of Atlanta of an apparent heart attack.

"He's one of the greatest songwriters of all time. His songs have touched so many lives. He's such a wonderful guy and loved by many," says Butch Lowery, president of the Lowery Group, which published South's music.

South is the writer (and sometimes performer) behind such hits as "Games People Play," "Walk a Mile In My Shoes," "Down in the Boondocks" and "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden." South won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for "Games People Play."

He was also a performer on Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" and Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde."