Buddy Buie Passes Away

Rickey Stokes

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Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jul 18 2015 2:00 PM

LAKE EUFAULA:     Several FACEBOOK posts from various people, Dothan’s Famous songwriter Buddy Buie passed away.

Family has posted "Buddy Buie passed away today. He suffered a massive heart attack last night doing what he loved to do - - - laughing and joking with friends".

Buddy and his high school sweetheart, Gloria have been married more than 35 years. They lived on Lake Eufaula at Thomas Mill Creek.

Buddy was the son of Buddy and Grace Buie. Their family owned and operated Buie’s Restaurant on South Foster Street in Dothan. Buddy and Gloria attended Dothan City Schools.

FROM John Jarrard Foundation:

Buddy Buie is an prolific songwriter, producer, and publisher. He is most commonly associated with Roy Orbison, The Classics IV and The Atlanta Rhythm Section.

Buddy was born in Dothan, Alabama and eventually moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he spent most of his career.

Buie is best known as a highly influential songwriter, with 340 songs registered in the Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) catalog. At one point Buie’s “Traces” (performed by The Classics IV) was the 34th Most Performed Song in BMI History. Buddy Buie’s contemporary work includes “Rock Bottom” for Wynonna Judd and “Mr. Midnight” for Garth Brooks. Notable artists that have covered his songs include Gloria Estefan (“Traces”), Travis Tritt (“Back Up Against the Wall” and “Homesick”), David Sanborn (“Spooky”), and Carlos Santana (“Stormy”).

Most recently John Legend used “Stormy” as the backing track on the single “Save Room”, earning Buie a writer’s credit.

Buddy Buie is a member of both the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. His music has also been used in films, most notably “Lost in Translation”, “Just Like Heaven” and the Oscar winning film “The Fighter”. -

See more at: https://www.johnjarrardfoundation.com/artist/buddy-buie/#sthash.2Uq54K0b.dpuf

Buddy Buie also wrote "The Day Bear Bryant Died". At the urging of friend Harrison Parrish, Buie released that song also.

On North Foster Street past Adams Street intersection, there is a mural depicting Buddy Buie in the Music Hall of Fame.

We do not know the funeral arrangements at this time. Chapman Funeral Home in Eufaula will be in charge of the arrangements.

www.daybeardied.com

Over the years I produced countless records and wrote over thirty songs that became hits, but few of them have been as heartfelt and emotional as the song Ronnie Hammond and I wrote one cold January day in 1983. Ronnie is the lead singer for The Atlanta Rhythm Section, a group I formed in 1970.

We had rented a cabin on Lake Lanier near Atlanta with the intention of writing another hit for ARS, but the funeral procession carrying Bear Bryant’s body from Tuscaloosa to it’s final resting place in Birmingham stopped us in our tracks. We were taking a break and turned o

n the television as Keith Jackson’s haunting voice narrated the scene of thousands lining Interstate 20/59 to honor their hero. Every overpass was packed with mourning fans and onlookers as we watched mesmerized and misty eyed. Ronnie began softly playing a hymn-like melody on his guitar. At that point we forgot about our mission to write another rock and roll masterpiece and spent the rest of that sad day composing “The Day Bear Bryant Died.”

23 years later, my friend Harrison Parrish (co-founder of Movie Gallery) had dinner with my wife and I at our home on Lake Eufaula and I played him a dust-covered demo of our old song about the Bear. We had never released it – we just considered it a proud accomplishment of two Bama fans. Harrison was moved by the song, and wanted to share it with his friends from the Class of 1970 at the University of Alabama, his alma mater.

That dinner conversation spawned this CD, which features our “lost song” plus nine other tracks dedicated to the Bama nation. I want to thank Ronnie Hammond, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Cook and Glenn, and Tom Stipe for their creative contributions. Special thanks to Harrison Parrish, Robert Register, The Image Agency and Gloria Buie. My dream is for “The Day Bear Bryant Died” to become an anthem for the Bama Nation. My hope is that this CD will be blasting from your speakers as you and your friends celebrate another Crimson Tide victory.

Thank you for your support, and Roll Tide!!!

Buddy Buie

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