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Joe South (born Joseph Alfred Souter; February 28, 1940 – September 5, 2012) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Best known for his songwriting, South won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 1970 for "Games People Play" and was again nominated for the award in 1972 for "Rose Garden".
South had his first top 50 hit in July 1958 with a cover version of the b-side of The Big Bopper's hit single "Chantilly Lace", a novelty song called "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor". Thereafter South would concentrate mainly on songwriting.
In 1959, South wrote two songs which were recorded by Gene Vincent: "I Might Have Known", which was on the album Sounds Like Gene Vincent (Capitol Records, 1959), and "Gone Gone Gone", which was included on the album The Crazy Beat of Gene Vincent (Capitol Records, 1963).
With his group, Joe South and the Believers, he recorded a cover of The Angelos song, "Backfield in Motion". Backed with "I'll Come Back to You", it was released on Columbia 43983. Cash Box, March 14, 1964 - Record Reviews, Newcomer Picks The Complete Library of American Phonograph Recordings By Jerry Osborne · 1997 - Page 105 South, Joe. & The Believers Later they recorded "A Fool in Love". Backed with "The Great Day", it was released on Columbia 4-44218 in 1967.The Rock & Country Encyclopedia & Discography - Joe South, 07/1967 SP COLUMBIA 4-44218 (US) Joe SOUTH & The BELIEVERS - A Fool In Love / The Great Day The ensemble would later go on to have two sizable hits.Billboard Database - Don't It Make You Want To Go Home? Joe South, Chart Billboard, February 14, 1970 - Page 52 Billboard TOP 40 Easy Listening, THIS WEEK 3, 1 Wk. Ago 6, 2 Wks. Ago 12, 3 Wks. Ago 13, WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES, Weeks On Chart 6 Billboard, February 14, 1970 - Page 70 Billboard Canada's Top Singles, This Week 7, Last Week 10, WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES, Weeks On Chart 2 Billboard, February 14, 1970 - Page 78 Billboard HOT 100 FOR WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 14, 1970, THIS WEEK 12, 1 Wk. Ago 16, 2 Wks. Ago 19, 3 Wks. Ago 26, WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES, Weeks On Chart 7
Billy Joe Royal recorded five South songs: "Down in the Boondocks" (also covered in 1969 by Penny DeHaven), "I Knew You When" (later a hit for Donny Osmond, and Linda Ronstadt), "Yo-Yo" (later a hit for The Osmonds), "Hush" (later a hit for Deep Purple, "Somebody's Image" which featured Russell Morris who later re-recorded the song with his band the Rubes, and Kula Shaker), and "Rose Garden", a country and pop hit for singer Lynn Anderson (see below).
Responding to late 1960s issues, South's style changed radically, most evident in his biggest single, 1969's pungent, no-nonsense "Games People Play" (purportedly inspired by Eric Berne's book of the same name), a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Accompanied by a lush string sound, an organ, and brass, the production won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Song and the Grammy Award for Song of the Year. South followed up with "Birds of a Feather" (originally "Bubbled Under" at No. 106 on February 10–17, 1968, more successful as a cover by The Raiders that peaked on the Hot 100 at No. 23 on October 23–30, 1971) and two other soul-searchers, the back-to-nature "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" (also covered eight months later by Brook Benton With The Dixie Flyers) and the socially provocative "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" (also covered by Elvis Presley in a Las Vegas era version, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bryan Ferry, and Coldcut).
South's most commercially successful composition was Lynn Anderson's 1970–1971 country–pop hit song "Rose Garden", which was a hit in 16 countries worldwide. Anderson won a Grammy Award for her vocals, and South earned two Grammy nominations for it, as Best Country Song and (general) Song of the Year. South wrote more hits for Anderson, such as "How Can I Unlove You" (Billboard charts Country No. 1) and "Fool Me" ( Billboard Country No. 3). Freddy Weller, Jeannie C. Riley, and Penny DeHaven also had hits on the Billboard country chart with South songs. In addition, other artists who have recorded South-penned songs include Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Glen Campbell, Loretta Lynn, Carol Burnett, Andy Williams, Kitty Wells, Dottie West, Jim Nabors, Arlen Roth, Liz Anderson, The Georgia Satellites, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Ike & Tina Turner, Hank Williams Jr., James Taylor, the Tams, and k. d. lang, although most covered versions of South's best known songs.
In an interview with Amy Duncan of Christian Science Monitor, South said, "I didn't see myself doing drugs for the kicks. I did it more or less to keep going, and to tap into inspiration. I equated the chemicals with the inspiration." South's drug use resulted in a surly attitude toward audiences, and he left Capitol after two unsuccessful albums. South lived for a time in the 1970s on the Hawaiian island of Maui. He said, "I really kicked myself around for years... one of the main hang-ups was I just refused to forgive myself. You know, you can go through drug treatment centers, and it's not a permanent healing until it's a spiritual healing."
In 1987, South married his second wife, Jan Tant. South said this marriage helped turn things around, and Tant's inspiration helped him return to writing songs and occasional appearances in public. South fathered one child, son Craig South, who is a voice-over artist in Southern California.
In 1988, a Dutch DJ, Jan Donkers, interviewed South for VPRO-radio. The radio show that aired the interview also played four new songs by South, but a new record was not released.
On September 13, 2003, South performed during the Georgia Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony and played with Buddy Buie, James B. Cobb Jr., and Chips Moman.
South's final recording, "Oprah Cried", was made in 2009 and released as a bonus track on the 2010 re-release of the albums So the Seeds are Growing and A Look Inside on a CD collection combining both LPs for Australian label Raven Records.
South was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2019.
| 1968 | Introspect | 117 | — | — | — | Capitol |
| 1969 | Games People Play | — | — | — | — | |
| Don't It Make You Want to Go Home? | 60 | 39 | 10 | 36 | ||
| 1970 | Greatest Hits | 125 | — | — | 88 | |
| 1971 | Joe South | 207 | — | — | — | |
| Joe South Story | — | — | — | — | MGM | |
| So the Seeds Are Growing | — | — | — | — | Capitol | |
| 1972 | A Look Inside | — | — | — | — | |
| 1975 | Midnight Rainbows | — | — | — | — | Island |
| 1976 | You're the Reason | — | — | — | — | Gusto |
| 1990 | The Best of Joe South | — | — | — | — | Rhino |
| 1999 | Retrospect: The Best of Joe South | — | — | — | — | Koch |
| 2001 | Anthology: A Mirror of His Mind | — | — | — | — | Raven |
| 2002 | Classic Masters | — | — | — | — | Capitol |
| 1958 | "The Purple People Eater Meets the Witch Doctor" | 47 | — | — | — | — | — | — | singles only |
| 1961 | "You're the Reason" | 87 | 16 | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 1968 | "Birds of a Feather" | 106 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Introspect |
| 1969 | "Games People Play" | 12 | — | — | — | 7 | — | — | Introspect, Games People Play |
| "Birds of a Feather" | 96 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Introspect | |
| "Leaning on You" | 104 | — | — | — | 69 | — | — | single only | |
| "Don't It Make You Want to Go Home" (with The Believers) | 41 | 27 | 16 | 14 | 42 | 11 | 18 | Don't It Make You Want to Go Home? | |
| 1970 | "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" (with The Believers) | 12 | 56 | 3 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 2 | |
| "Children" | 51 | — | 32 | 41 | 33 | — | 31 | ||
| "Why Does a Man Do What He Has to Do" | 118 | — | — | — | 47 | — | — | Joe South | |
| 1971 | "Fool Me" | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
With Simon & Garfunkel
With Bob Dylan
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