'The Letter' songwriter Wayne Carson dies at age 72

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Grammy-winning songwriter Wayne Carson, who wrote hits like the Willie Nelson classic "Always On My Mind," and The Box Tops' "The Letter," has died. He was 72.

Carson died on Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, in hospice care after a lengthy illness, according to family friend Shirley Hutchins.

He got his first No. 1 hit in 1966 on "Somebody Like Me," performed by Eddy Arnold, and his songs have been covered by artists across genres, from Elvis Presley to Al Green. "Always On My Mind," co-written with Johnny Christopher and Mark James, won two Grammy Awards in 1982.

He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1997.