Country singer Jim Ed Brown dead at 81

NASHVILLE, June 11 (UPI) -- Country Music Hall of Fame member and Grand Ole Opry star Jim Ed Brown died Thursday from cancer. He was 81.

Brown revealed in September that he had been treated for lung cancer, The Tennessean reported. He said that he was in remission earlier this year but at the beginning of June his daughter revealed the disease had returned.

The "Southern Loving" singer got his start as a member of The Browns, a singing group with his sisters Maxine and Bonnie. Their song "Three Bells" sat at the top of Billboard's country music chart for 10 weeks.

He later focused on his solo career, finding success with songs like "Morning," "Sometime Sunshine" and "It's That Time of Night."

The Browns were inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in March 2015.

Brown is survived by his wife, Becky, son and daughter. Funeral arrangements were pending.