Country singer-songwriter Tom T Hall dies

Country singer-songwriter Tom T Hall, seen here in 1977, has died (AP)

Tom T Hall, the American singer-songwriter who composed Harper Valley PTA and sang about life’s simple joys as country music’s consummate blue collar bard, has died. He was 85.

His son, Dean Hall, confirmed the musician’s death on Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. Hall, known as The Storyteller for his unadorned yet incisive lyrics, composed hundreds of songs.