George McCorkle | Rock musician, 60
George McCorkle, 60, a founding member of the Marshall Tucker Band who wrote the Southern rock favorite "Fire on the Mountain," died Friday.
George McCorkle, 60, a founding member of the Marshall Tucker Band who wrote the Southern rock favorite "Fire on the Mountain," died Friday.
Mr. McCorkle had recently been diagnosed with cancer. He died at University Medical Center in Lebanon, Tenn., about 35 miles east of Nashville.
Mr. McCorkle wrote "Fire on the Mountain" in hopes it would be included on longtime friend Charlie Daniels' album of the same title. When Daniels ended up not using it, the Marshall Tucker Band put it on the Searching For A Rainbow album in 1975.
"Fire on the Mountain" became the Tucker Band's first Top 40 hit single and remains one of the most popular songs in Southern rock.
Mr. McCorkle, who quit the band in 1984, moved to Middle Tennessee in the 1990s and began working full-time as a songwriter.
He cowrote "Cowboy Blues," which was recorded by Gary Allan for his Smoke Rings in the Dark album. Other McCorkle songs had recently been recorded by John Corbett and Beverley Mitchell.
He also played with the Renegades of Southern Rock, a band made up of original members of Wet Willie, The Outlaws and other groups. - AP