McBride passed away on Jan. 6, according to the Country Music Hall of Fame. No cause of death was provided for the 78-year-old.
Jackson posted a tribute to his friend on Instagram.
“Jim was a good man and a great and genuine songwriter,” the 67-year-old wrote, alongside two candid snapshots with McBride. “He understood country music and touched many with his songs.”
“Jim and I wrote some of my favorite songs together. 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 peace. – AJ”
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Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, McBride received his first guitar at 21. Some of his earliest songs were performed on the hit television series Hee Haw. In 1979, McBride’s song “We Let Love Fade Away,” recorded by Leon Everette, was his first to enter the country charts.
Johnny Lee’s 1981 recording of “Bet Your Heart on Me” became his first No. 1 hit on the Hot Country Singles chart. In 1987, Waylon Jennings took McBride’s song “Rose in Paradise” to the top of the same chart.
Meanwhile, McBride collaborated with Jackson on several hits. These include “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Chattahoochee,” “Someday,” “That’s All I Need to Know,” and “(Who Says) You Can’t Have It All.” Notably, “Chattahoochee” was named Song of the Year and Single of the Year by the Country Music Association.
Throughout his career, McBride’s songwriting was recorded by industry icons, including Conway Twitty, George Jones, Patty Loveless, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Reba McEntire, Jerry Lee Lewis, Randy Travis, Toby Keith, and Johnny Cash.
In 2017, McBride was inducted into both the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
At the time of his death, he lived with his second wife, Jeanne Ivey, on a farm in Madison County, Alabama, near Huntsville.