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Hoyt Axton

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Albums43
Songs75
AboutFirst rising to prominence as a songwriter, Hoyt Axton carved out successful
careers as a singer and actor as well; rooted equally in country, folk and
pop, his gravelly baritone and wry, earthy songs projected an uncommon
wit, warmth, and optimism, yielding a consistently engaging body of work
extending across four decades. Axton was born March 25, 1938 in Duncan,
OK, the son of a naval officer and his English teacher wife. Raised primarily
in Jacksonville, FL, he studied classical piano as a child before switching to
guitar, writing his first songs at 15. Despite the musical impact of his mother,
Mae Boren Axton — the co-author of Elvis Presley's landmark 1956
chart-topper "Heartbreak Hotel" — he initially pursued a career in athletics,
attending Oklahoma State University on a football scholarship before
serving a stint in the navy. From there Axton relocated to San Francisco,
performing at local folk clubs and in 1962 writing his first hit, the Kingston
Trio's "Greenback Dollar." Later that year he issued his first album, The
Balladeer, a live effort recorded at the Hollywood nightspot the Troubadour;
a concurrent appearance on the television western Bonanza also launched
his acting career.

Axton resurfaced in 1963 with Thunder 'N Lightnin', followed later that year
by Saturday's Child; around that same time one of his best friends suffered
a fatal drug overdose, inspiring his song "The Pusher," a hit for the rock
band Steppenwolf subsequently included on the soundtrack to the film Easy
Rider. Despite his success as a songwriter, Axton's performing career failed
to catch fire, and after 1965's Sings Bessie Smith he was without a recording
contract for several years before signing to Columbia in 1969 to issue My
Griffin Is Gone. While opening for Three Dog Night in support of the album,
the band heard his composition "Joy to the World" — their recording of the
song topped the pop charts in the spring of 1971 — and early the following
year they returned to the Top Ten with Axton's "Never Been to Spain." He
signed to A&M to release 1973's Less Than the Song; the follow-up, Life
Machine, launched two of his biggest solo hits, the lovely "When the
Morning Comes" (a duet with Linda Ronstadt) and "Boney Fingers." In 1975,
Ringo Starr also notched a Top Three smash with Axton's "The No No Song."

Following the much-acclaimed 1977 album Snowblind Friend, Axton
completed his deal with MCA with the release of Free Sailin'; he then
formed his own label, Jeremiah Records, and with 1979's A Rusty Old Halo
scored his biggest solo hit with the classic "Della and the Dealer." In the
wake of appearances on dozens of television series including I Dream of
Jeannie and McCloud, he landed his first major film work that same year in
the acclaimed family drama The Black Stallion; Axton's subsequent movie
roles included co-starring appearances in projects including 1983's Heart
Like a Wheel, 1984's Gremlins, and 1989's We're No Angels. After 1982's
Pistol Packin' Mama, Jeremiah folded, and Axton was noticeably absent
from recording until issuing the comeback album Spin of the Wheel in 1990.
The LP was Axton's last major new release, however, and in 1996 he
suffered a stroke; his health continued to decline, and after a series of
heart attacks he died October 26, 1999 at the age of 61.

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