John D. Loudermilk, the Grammy Award-winning writer of such hits as "Tobacco Road" and "Indian Reservation," died at 82 on Wednesday, his friend and fellow songwriter Bobby Braddock posted on Facebook.
"John D. left an incredible trail of mega hits over several decades, going back to the 1950s; country, pop, and R&B. His uncommon brain was filled with amazing words and powerful music — or vice versa," wrote Braddock of Loudermilk on Facebook.
"This bigger-than-life North Carolinian with the soft, friendly voice, was no ordinary man. Over the years, I have known him to hold just about every religious and political view imaginable. In conversation, you were never quite sure if he was telling you the most profound thing in the world or pulling your leg," Braddock continued.
A member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Loudermilk's best-known recording "Tobacco Road" has been covered nearly 200 times with the Nashville Teens taking the song to No. 11 on the pop charts in 1964.
Still, Loudermilk's best-selling commercial hit was "Indian Reservation," which was recorded by Paul Revere & the Raiders in 1971. The song reached No. 1 on the pop charts and was certified platinum.
Loudermilk started off as a solo artist, signing with Columbia, but found some success after moving to RCA and scoring the Top 40 hit "Language of Love" and his biggest solo hit "Bad News" in 1963, noted Rolling Stone. His first hit as a writer came when George Hamilton IV's version of "A Rose and a Baby Ruth" became a Top 10 hit in 1956.
His other hits as a writer included Marianne Faithfull's "This Little Bird," Everly Brothers' "Ebony Eyes," Glen Campbell's "I Wanna Live," Sue Thompson's "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)," Eddy Arnold's "Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye," and Stonewall Jackson's "Waterloo."
Fans left their condolences for the songwriter on social media.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.