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Mentor Williams | Wrote "Drift Away," 70

Mentor Williams, 70, the songwriter behind the 1970s pop hit "Drift Away," died Wednesday at his home in Taos, N.M., after battling lung cancer.

Mentor Williams, 70, the songwriter behind the 1970s pop hit "Drift Away," died Wednesday at his home in Taos, N.M., after battling lung cancer.

Paul Williams, also a famed songwriter who is the president of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, or ASCAP, confirmed his brother's death.

"Drift Away," sung by pop artist Dobie Gray, reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts and won awards in 1973. A year later, Williams produced the album Feelings, which included the songs "Sunday Driver" and "L.A. Cowboy."

Mr. Williams had lived in Taos with his partner, Lynn Anderson, a 1970s country music star who sang "Rose Garden." She died in 2015 at age 67.

- AP