HOYT AXTON

 

Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. Among his best-known songs are "Joy to the World", "The Pusher", "No No Song", "Greenback Dollar", "Della and the Dealer", and "Never Been to Spain".[

He was a prolific character actor, appearing in dozens of film and television roles over several decades, memorably as a father figure in a number of films, including The Black Stallion (1979) and Gremlins (1984).

Early life

Born in Duncan, Oklahoma, Axton spent his preteen years in Comanche, Oklahoma, with his brother, John.His mother, Mae Boren Axton, a songwriter, co-wrote the classic rock 'n' roll song "Heartbreak Hotel", which became a major hit for Elvis Presley. Some of Hoyt's own songs were later recorded by Presley. Axton's father, John Thomas Axton,was a naval officer stationed in Jacksonville, Florida; the family joined him there in 1949.

Axton graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1956 and left town after Knauer's Hardware Store burned down on graduation night, a prank gone wrong.

He attended Oklahoma State University on a scholarship, and he played football for the school, but he left to enlist in the US Navy. In the Navy, Axton held the rank of petty officer second class and served on two ships, the USS Princeton (CV-37) and the USS Ranger (CVA-61).

Axton was the first cousin of David Boren, who served as governor of Oklahoma and three terms in the United States Senate, and as president of the University of Oklahoma.

After his discharge from the Navy, Axton began singing folk songs in coffee houses and nightclubs in Southern California. In the early 1960s, he released his first folk album, The Balladeer (recorded at The Troubadour), which included his song "Greenback Dollar". It became a 1963 hit for The Kingston Trio.

Axton released numerous albums throughout the 1960s and '70s. He produced Tales From The Ozone, a 1975 album by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, and he had many minor hits of his own, such as "Boney Fingers", "When the Morning Comes", and 1979's "Della and the Dealer".[4] His vocal style featured his distinctive bass-baritone (which later deepened to near-bass) and use of characterization.

Axton first appeared on television in a David L. Wolper ABC production of The Story of a Folksinger (1963). He appeared on Hootenanny, hosted by Jack Linkletter, during this period. In 1965, he was in an episode of Bonanza[4] where he sang duets with Pernell Roberts. In 1966, he made his film debut in the film Smoky playing the role of Fred Denton, the evil brother of the character played by actor Fess Parker. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s through his film roles, including The Black Stallion (1979), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), and Gremlins (1984). His television appearances included WKRP In Cincinnati (1979) and Diff'rent Strokes (1984, 1985). In 1980, he sang the theme song to the short-lived series Flo, and he appeared in the episode "You Gotta Have Hoyt". Axton sang the jingle "The Ballad of Big Mac", touting McDonald's Big Mac onscreen in a 1969 commercial he filmed for the hamburger franchise, as well as "Head For the Mountains" in voice-overs for Busch Beer in the 1980s. He appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1985, and in a TV spot for FTD Florists with Merlin Olsen in 1989.[citation needed]

Axton's most lasting contributions were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" (Three Dog Night) and "Never Been to Spain" (Three Dog Night, Elvis Presley); "Greenback Dollar" (the Kingston Trio); "The Pusher" and "Snowblind Friend" (Steppenwolf); "No No Song" (Ringo Starr); and an array of other songs covered by singers such as Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, John Denver, Nina Simone, Waylon Jennings, Martha Reeves, Jonathan Edwards, Glen Campbell, and Anne Murray. Axton sang duets with Linda Ronstadt on the songs "Lion in the Winter" and "When the Morning Comes" (a top-40 country hit), and with Tanya Tucker on "You Taught Me How To Cry." His composition "Joy to the World", as performed by Three Dog Night, was number one on the charts for six straight weeks in 1971, making it the top hit of the year. He named his record label Jeremiah after the bullfrog mentioned in the song.

Personal life and death

Axton was married four times; the first three ended in divorce.He had five children.

Axton struggled with cocaine addiction, and several of his songs, including "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend", and "No No Song", partly reflect his negative drug experiences. He was a proponent of medical marijuana use for many years until his wife Deborah and he were arrested in February 1997 at their Montana home for possession of about 500 g (1.1 lb) of marijuana. His wife later explained that she offered Axton marijuana to relieve his pain and stress following his 1995 stroke. They were fined and given deferred sentences. Axton never fully recovered from his stroke, and he used a wheelchair much of the time afterwards. Axton died at age 61 at his home in Victor, Montana, on October 26, 1999, after suffering two heart attacks in two weeks.

On November 1, 2007, Axton and his mother Mae were both inducted posthumously into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Discography

Albums

Year Album Chart positions Label

US Country US CAN Country

1962 The Balladeer — — — Horizon

1963 Greenback Dollar — — — Horizon

1963 Thunder'n Lightnin' — — — Horizon

1963 Saturday's Child — — — Horizon

1964 Hoyt Axton Explodes! — — — Vee Jay

1964 Long Old Road — — — Vee Jay

1965 Mr. Greenback Dollar Man — — — Surrey

1965 Hoyt Axton Sings Bessie Smith — — — Exodus

1969 My Griffin Is Gone — — — Columbia

1971 Joy to the World — — — Capitol

1971 Country Anthem — — — Capitol

1973 Less Than the Song — — — A&M

1974 Life Machine 21 — —

1975 Southbound 27 188 —

1976 Fearless 26 171 —

1977 Snowblind Friend 36 — — MCA

1978 Road Songs 40 — — A&M

Free Sailin' 42 — — MCA

1979 A Rusty Old Halo 27 — 14 Jeremiah

1980 Where Did the Money Go? 31 — —

1981 Live! 30 — —

1982 Pistol Packin' Mama 41 — —

1984 American Dreams — — — Global

1990 Spin of the Wheel — — — DPI

1996 Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog – – – Youngheart Music

1998 The A&M Years — — —