Joe South

He was a seemingly plain man with a plain name and a plain clothes style, the antithesis of a rock star. But Joe South's unassuming presence was belied by a remarkable body of work in the 1960s and early '70s. In a few short years, the Georgia native, who died Sept. 5 at 72, wrote eight hits, including 1969's "Games People Play"; recorded a handful of critically acclaimed albums; and as a session guitarist in the Muscle Shoals scene played on records including Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools." South abruptly halted his career in 1971 after his brother committed suicide, and...

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