Songwriter Jim Weatherly, best known for penning the Gladys Knight hit "Midnight Train to Georgia", passed away at the age of 77 on February 3rd. No cause of death was released.
Once the starting quarterback at the University of Mississippi, Weatherly instead sought his fame and fortune in Nashville instead of on the gridiron. Primarily a country singer, Weatherly had his greatest success writing hits for Gladys Knight and The Pips. Aside from "Midnight Train to Georgia", Knight also scored hits with "Neither One of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)" and "Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me".
Interestingly "Midnight Train to Georgia" was actually inspired by a phone conversation with a young Farrah Fawcett when she told Weatherly she was going to visit her family by taking a midnight plane to Houston. So, yes, the song was originally called "Midnight Plane to Houston". The setting was changed further west when the song was offered to Cissy Houston and then, of course, to Gladys Knight.
Here is Weatherly's original version of "Midnight Plane to Houston". R.I.P.
No comments:
Post a Comment