WAYNE CARSON, who wrote Elvis Presley’s “Always on My Mind” and Joe Cocker’s “The Letter,” has died aged 72.

    The two-time Grammy winner said he had written “Always on My Mind” in 10 minutes at his kitchen table in Missouri.

    The song gained two further writers, Johnny Christopher and Mark James, when Carson was asked to write an additional bridge section in the recording studio.

    Carson had numerous health issues, including diabetes and heart problems, according to his wife Wyndi Harp Head.

    “Our music community has lost an immense talent much too soon,” said Recording Academy president Neil Portnow.

    Born Wayne Carson Thompson in Denver, the writer’s parents were professional musicians who played under the name Shorty and Sue Thompson.

    Carson picked up a guitar when he was about 14 after hearing a recording by Merle Travis, and soon began composing his own songs.

    He wrote “The Letter,” “Soul Deep” and “Neon Rainbow” for The Box Tops; “No Love at All” for BJ Thomas and “A Horse Called Music” for Willie Nelson.

    “Always on My Mind” was originally recorded by Gwen McCrae and Brenda Lee, but it was Presley’s 1972 version — recorded during his divorce from Priscilla — that became a standard.

    A decade later, Willie Nelson took the love-lorn ballad to the top of the country charts, winning Carson his two Grammy awards — for song of the year and best country song.

    Nelson’s version proved so popular that “Always on My Mind” was named the Country Music Association’s song of the year in both 1982 and 1983, leading the organization to change its voting procedures so that a song could win the award only once.

    Among the other artists to record Carson’s songs were Conway Twitty, the Beach Boys, Randy Travis, Waylon Jennings and Tina Turner.

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

    He is survived by his wife and their son.(SD-Agencies)