The music world mourns today as we lose another great favorite and talented musician, Joe South, who passed away on September 5th, 2012.

Joe South (born as Joseph Souter) was a well-known session guitarist, and played guitar for other well-known acts in the 60s, such as: Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, and Simon & Garfunkel. With Simon & Garfunkel, South’s electric guitar riffs can be heard on their hit “Sound of Silence.”

During the late 1960s, South earned a Grammy award for “Best Contemporary Song” and “Song of the Year” for his original work of Games People Play, a song that made it to #12 on the Billboard charts at the time. This catchy song is the song that South is most well-known for.

After this hit, South continued to write songs for other recording artists. One of his most well-known compositions was I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, sung by Lynn Anderson in 1971. This song was a hit for both Anderson and South, and reached popularity abroad in 16 different countries.

In 2003, Joe South was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, and performed with Buddy Buie, James B. Cobb, Jr. and Chips Moman at their induction ceremony.

On September 5th, 2012, Joe South died due to heart failure at the age of 72. Many fans of his talent have left their respects via Twitter.