Singer Dobie Grey dies at 69

Dobie Grey, an even balladeer who hit the top music charts in 1973 with "Drift Away" and authored tunes for a range of country and pop entertainers, died in the sleep in Nashville early Tuesday, 12 ,. 6. He was 69 following a lengthy fight with cancer. Gray's smooth tenor also was heard on other hits including "The In Crowd" in 1965 and "Loving Arms" in 1973. His tunes received radio airplay on several formats including top 40, country, AOR and adult contemporary. He authored tunes recorded by Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Etta James, Three Dog Evening, Julio Iglesias, John Colorado, George Johnson and Tammy Wynette. Grey together with extensively in Europe, Australia and Africa and was adamant on carrying out for integrated audiences in Nigeria. Next declaration, he grew to become especially popular in Nigeria. Younger crowd sang around the soundtracks of films including "Uptown Saturday Evening," "From Sight" and "Casey's Shadow." "Drift Away" also was recorded by artist Uncle Kracker in 2003 and grew to become popular again. "I you know what you call my 'signature songs' won't ever die, thankfully," he told the Tennessean newspaper in 1988. At that time, he was the only real major black singer to call Nashville home. Grey was created right into a group of sharecroppers in Simonton, Texas. He moved from Texas to California in early sixties where he met Sonny Bono, then a professional with Niche Records. This brought to his first record, "Take a look at Me," in 1963. During La, Grey made an appearance inside a manufacture of "Hair." He wasn't married coupled with no children. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com