Knight pays tribute to 'Midnight Train to Georgia' songwriter Jim Weatherly

Gladys Knight has paid tribute to Jim Weatherly, the country music singer-songwriter behind her biggest hit Midnight Train To Georgia, following his death at the age of 77.

Weatherly died of natural causes at his home near Nashville, Tennessee, music publisher Charlie Monk told The Tennessean newspaper.

He was a prolific songwriter also responsible for hits including You're The Best Thing and Neither One of Us, both for Gladys Knight & The Pips.

Weatherly will perhaps be best remembered for 1973's Midnight Train To Georgia.

Following his death, Knight, "the empress of soul," paid tribute on social media.

She said: 

I'm missing Jim Weatherly already. He was about life and love. Neither One of Us and Midnight Train — I remember him getting his Grammys for those. We were just made for each other. We grew our lives together. I'm gonna miss him terribly and love him always.

Over a career spanning five decades, Weatherly, a former quarterback at the University of Mississippi, released almost a dozen studio albums while writing hits for other artists.

Midnight Train To Georgia was inducted into the Grammys hall of fame in 1999 and was named one of the 500 greatest songs ever by Rolling Stone.