Country composer Jim Weatherly, who wrote Midnight Train to Georgia, dies at 77 at his home in Nashville
- Jim Weatherly passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 77
- No cause of death was revealed at this time
- He was famous for writing classic hits like Midnight Train to Georgia for Gladys Knight and the Pips
- The track won a Grammy in 1973 and was hailed as one of the 500 best Rolling Stone songs of all time.
- Charlie Monk of Music Row was asked to issue a statement on behalf of the family, saying: ‘He was probably one of the five most talented songwriters who has ever visited this city’
- Weatherly was introduced to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2014
Country singer and songwriter Jim Weatherly, who wrote classics like Midnight Train to Georgia, died at 77, this has been confirmed.
A Weatherly representative confirmed that he died at his Tennessee home on Wednesday, reports The Tennessean.
The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
Jim Weatherly dies at 77: The country singer and songwriter who wrote Midnight Train to Georgia dies at his home in Nashville
His family broke the news of his passing with a Facebook post on Wednesday night.
A winning Ole Miss championship quarterback, he abandoned his football career to pursue music in Los Angeles.
The composer found fame in the 1970s when Gladys Knight and the Pips recorded their version of Midnight Train to Georgia, which won a 1973 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group.
The song reached the Rolling Stone top 500 of all time, reaching number 438 and was included in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
A different path: a former Ole Miss quarterback, he abandoned a growing career in football to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in music; pictured in 1962
The track was originally titled Midnight Train to Houston and was inspired by a phone call he had with Farrah Fawcett, who was dating a friend of his at the time.
The song made its way to their first album in 1971, along with Neither One of Us, which became another Knight hit.
Weatherly was included in the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in 2014, by Charlie Monk, nicknamed ‘Mayor of Music Row’.
Asked to issue a statement on behalf of the family by Jim’s wife, Cynthia, he said on Wednesday:
‘When I referred Jim to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, I said,’ This may be the most honorable human being I’ve ever met. ‘He never had a cigarette in his mouth, he never tasted like alcohol, he didn’t chew (tobacco), he didn’t curse. The only expletive I heard him use was’ Foot! Charlie. ‘He was probably one of the five most talented composers he has ever seen in this city. ‘
Hall of Fame: Monk said, “He was probably one of the five most talented songwriters to visit this city”, with Midnight Train to Georgia reaching the Rolling Stone top 500 of all time
He recorded 12 albums of his own over his 50-year career, with his greatest success being 1974’s I Still Love You.
Weatherly published a biography of his life in 2018 entitled Midnight Train.
He told Clarion Ledger about the book as he said:
‘When you think about how many great songs have been written and recorded over the past 90 years, it’s amazing to have one on that list. I still wonder how it all happened. The way my story unfolds from start to finish is fascinating to me – and I experienced it. ‘
He leaves his wife Cynthia and two children Zack and Brighton.
Family man: Weatherly leaves his wife Cynthia and children Zack and Brighton; pictured in 2014