Joe South - Definition

Joseph Alfred Souter (born February 28, 1940, Atlanta, Georgia) is a Grammy Award winning singer and songwriter.

Souter met and was encouraged by Bill Lowery, a local music publisher and radio personality. Recording under the name "Joe South", he began his recording career in Atlanta with NRC, where he served as staff guitarist along with other NRC artists Ray Stevens and Jerry Reed. His earliest recordings were re-released by NRC in 2004. South had mega hits in the early part of the 1970s with songs such as "Don't It Make You Wanna Go Home" and "Walk a Mile in My Shoes". His biggest hit was "Games People Play" that won Grammy awards for "Best Contemporary Song" and the prestigious "Song of the Year".

Joe South songs were recorded by other artists such as Lynn Anderson's 1971 hit "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden", Billy Joe Royal's #1 song "Down in the Boondocks" and Deep Purple's "Hush".

The untimely death of his brother Tommy drove South into deep depression. Tommy had been his band's drummer, and accompanied Joe not only in live performances, but also on recording sessions of South-produced hits for other artists. including Billy Joe Royal, Sandy Posey, and Friend & Lover.

Joe South is a member of the Georgia Music Hall Of Fame.

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