Singer Dobie Gray dies at 69

Dobie Gray, a level balladeer who hit the very best music charts in 1973 with "Drift Away" and written tunes for a variety of country and pop artists, died within the sleep in Nashville early Tuesday, 12 ,. 6. He was 69 carrying out a extended 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 written tunes recorded by Ray Charles, Johnny Mathis, Etta James, Three Dog Evening, Julio Iglesias, John Colorado, George Manley and Tammy Wynette. Gray along with extensively in Europe, Australia and Africa and was adament on undertaking for integrated audiences in Nigeria. Next declaration, he increased being especially popular in Nigeria. More youthful crowd sang round 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 increased being popular again. "I guess what happens you call my 'signature songs' will not ever die, fortunately," he told the Tennessean newspaper in 1988. In those days, he was really the only major black singer to call Nashville home. Gray was produced in to a number of sharecroppers in Simonton, Texas. He moved from Texas to California at the begining of sixties where he met Sonny Bono, a professional with Niche Records. This introduced to his first record, "Have a look at Me," in 1963. Throughout La, Gray came out in the output of "Hair." He wasn't married combined without any children. Contact the number newsroom at news@variety.com