Jim McBride was an American Nashville Hall of Fame songwriter who was best known for penning Alan Jackson's Chattahoochee. McBride died on January 6 at 78, as per local Alabama news station WAFF. Two days after his death, Jackson took to social media to post two throwback pictures of the two, with the caption,"Jim was a good man and a great and genuine songwriter. He understood country music and touched many with his songs. Jim and I wrote some of my favorite songs together and I don't know if my career would have ended up quite the same without his help, inspiration, and encouragement in my early years. Thank you Jim, rest in piece."Fellow songwriter Jerry Salley also took to Facebook on January 7 to share a tribute calling Jim a "lifelong brother."More about Jim McBride's songwriting careerJim McBride was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, and grew up listening to country music on WBHP with his mother. He spent his childhood reading about songs in the magazine Country Song Roundup. He started his career in the 1970s when he brought his songs to Curly Putman, a fellow songwriter from Alabama. In the early 1970s, five of his songs were recorded by The Hagers, who also performed them on the TV show Hee Haw. Throughout his singing career, Jim McBride's songs have been covered by a wide range of artists, including Alabama, Trace Adkins, Johnny Cash, Tammy Cochran, Diamond Rio, Crystal Gayle, Vern Gosdin, Jack Greene, Waylon Jennings, George Jones, Toby Keith, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Lonestar, Johnny Lee, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, the Oak Ridge Boys, Johnny Paycheck, Charley Pride, Pam Tillis, Randy Travis, Conway Twitty, and Keith Whitley.Jim McBride's song for Conway Twitty A Bridge That Just Won't Burn entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 62. In 1992, McBride wrote Chattahoochee with Alan Jackson. The track entered the Billboard Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs charts at 72. The track also won several accolades, including Academy of Country Music Awards Single Record of the Year, American Music Awards Favorite Country Single, ASCAP Country Awards Song of the Year, and Country Music Association Awards Single of the Year, among others.However, McBride grew frustrated with his lack of success in selling songs and stopped writing. He went on to work for the U.S Post Office for fourteen years, which he quit after Roger Murrah and he decided to work on A Bridge that Just Won't Burn as a single.