Songwriter, Music Producer ‘Buddy’ Buie Dies In Alabama

Perry “Buddy” Buie, a songwriter and producer who helped form the Atlanta Rhythm Section and then fuel its success with the lyrics he wrote for the band, has died. He was 74.

Buie died Saturday, said Chip Chapman, owner of Chapman Funeral Home in Eufaula, Alabama. A memorial service is planned for 1 p.m. CDT Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Eufaula, the funeral home announced Sunday evening.

Rodney Justo, one of the band’s original members, remembers how Buie brought him and other musicians together to form the Atlanta Rhythm Section in the early 1970s. The band, Justo said, was Buie’s dream.

Though Buie is known for his work with the Atlanta Rhythm Section, he’s also written or co-written hit songs performed by artists such as Carlos Santana; Gloria Estefan; and Garth Brooks.