Tina Turner songwriter Tony Joe White dead at 75

Chicago (AFP) – Country bluesman Tony Joe White, who wrote for Tina Turner and authored hits covered by music icons including Elvis Presley and Tom Jones, has died. He was 75.

A statement from his record label Yep Roc Records said White’s family confirmed his death on Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We are with broken hearts to announce that Tony Joe White has passed away,” a posting on his social media accounts read. “A true legend that will always be remembered as a real artist.”

Yep Roc didn’t give the cause of death of the performer best known for his 1969 hit “Polk Salad Annie” and for “Rainy Night in Georgia.” 

But his son, Jody White, said the rocker hadn’t been ill, according to the Tennessean news portal. 

“He just had a heart attack… there was no pain or suffering,” he was quoted as saying.

White was known for his deep baritone voice and unique “swamp rock” sound that was imbued with blues, country, boogie and R&B.

White penned Turner’s 1989 hit “Steamy Windows” and his songs were popularized by performers including Joe Cocker and Willie Nelson over the course of a five-decade career.

“Tony Joe White was a true American original. In everything he did, he did it with his own unique voice,” said Glenn Dicker, co-founder of Yep Roc.

The label described the artist — who released blues record “Bad Mouthin’” last month — as producing music that was “as primal as a lizard’s backbone.” 

Born in Louisiana on July 23, 1943, White grew up on a cotton farm, the youngest of seven children, and discovered blues as a teenager.

His 1969 debut album “Black and White”  contained “Polk Salad Annie,” a single that Elvis often performed during his live sets. 

He then released two albums at Rhino/Warner Bros, including “Homemade Ice Cream.”

On stage, White often wore a Stetson hat and sunglasses that hid his face while he played, and was accompanied only by a drummer.

“If there’s anything like a line connecting everything that I’ve done, I would say it’s realness,” Yep Rock quoted White as saying.

“Even my songs that are sweet little love ballads — those are all real, inspired by real love and real life. Being real, being focused on what’s really going on around you, is something I learned early in my life.”