Joe South Dead: 'Games People Play' Singer Dies at 72

Joe South, popular singer-songwriter who had a number of 1960s-1970s hits including "Games People Play" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes," died on Wednesday at his Georgia home at the age of 72.

South (whose real name was Joseph Souter) passed away after experiencing a heart attack at his residence in Flowery Branch, GA, according to his music publisher.

Along with many of his own hits, South worked alongside numerous famed musicians including Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel. South was a strong presence on Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" album.

President of the Lowery Group Butch Lowery said of South: "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."

One of the greatest hits which South penned, "(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden," was actually sung by artist Lynn Anderson. It reached the no. 3 spot on Billboard's pop chart in 1971. The pop-country hit earned two Grammy nominations in 1971, and paved the way for Anderson to win a Grammy for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance."

The song "Games People Play," off of the 1969 album "Introspect," is widely considered South's greatest work. The track - which spoke out against hate, hypocrisy and inhumanity - reached no. 12 on the Billboard charts and won South two Grammys for "Best Contemporary Song" and "Song of the Year."

South was also an inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. The "Birds of a Feather" singer seemed to fall off the musical grid after his brother, Tommy, committed suicide in 1971. South released the tune "Oprah Cried" in 2009.

South is survived by a son, Craig, and a granddaughter. His second wife died in the late 1990s.

Joe South, "Games People Play":