From:   "Dik de Heer" 
Date:  Thu Feb 28, 2002  1:16 am
Subject:  Born To Be With You : Joe South
 
JOE SOUTH (By Shaun Mather)

Born Joe Souter, 28 February 1940, Atlanta, Georgia

South first started performing on radio in 1957, a year before he hit with
the novelty number "The Purple People Eater Meets The Witch Doctor"
(# 47), written and originally recorded by the Big Bopper.
He spent the '60s as a session player in Nashville (Marty Robbins, Eddy
Arnold) and Muscle Shoals (Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin), before starting
to concentrate more on his songwriting. From 1965 to 1967 he wrote and
produced five hits for Billy Joe Royal, including the # 9 smash "Down In The
Boondocks". In 1968 he wrote and had a hit for Capitol (# 12 US, # 6 UK)
with "Games People Play", a song which earned him a Grammy for Song
of The Year. He also had the honour of having it covered by an in-form
Jerry Lee Lewis for Mercury. At the beginning of 1970 he had a # 12 hit
with "Walk A Mile In My Shoes", this time covered by Elvis.
As a producer he found even more success with Lynn Anderson scoring high
with "Rose Garden" in 1971. Things then turned sour when he developed a
drugs problem and he faded from the limelight. The 90's saw him make
a low-key return to the music business.

Recommended listening;
Best of Joe South - Rhino.
Best of Joe South - Retrospect - Koch.