Legendary Country Music Songwriter Passes Away

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Although John D. Loudermilk had a solo career in country music for a while, he was primarily known as a songwriter. His list of notable compositions contains dozens of titles, as he wrote some of the greatest hits over the course of multiple decades. 

After enjoying one of the most successful careers a country music songwriter could dream of, Loudermilk’s friend and fellow songwriter Bobby Braddock broke the news early Thursday morning (September 22) that Loudermilk had passed away the day before. He was 82 years old.

According to Braddock,”it was pretty well known that John’s days were numbered.” He wrote a detailed post in tribute to his friend on Facebook, and thanked him for writing “some of the best American music” ever.

That music included songs such as “Tobacco Road,” which has been covered by almost 200 artists since Loudermilk wrote it. The most notable version of the song was recorded by a group called The Nashville Teens, who turned it into a Top 20 hit.

Loudermilk scored his biggest hit when Paul Revere & the Raiders recorded his song “Indian Reservation,” and released it in 1971. The song topped the charts and ended up being certified platinum. 

Just a short selection of some of Loudermilk’s other great compositions include: “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye,” “Everything’s Alright,” and “Waterloo.”

In 1976, Loudermilk was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. His home state of North Carolina honored him by inducting him into its Music Hall of Fame 35 years later in 2011.

Loudermilk is survived by his wife of 48 years, Susan, and his other family members. No funeral arrangements have been announced as of press time.

We’ll be keeping Loudermilk’s family and friends in our prayers.