Hoyt Axton
Encyclopedia
Hoyt Wayne Axton was an American country music
singer-songwriter
, and a film
and television
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. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well known throughout the world. Among them were "Joy to the World
", The Pusher
and "Greenback Dollar".
and spent his pre-teen years in Comanche, Oklahoma
with his brother, John. His mother, Mae Boren Axton
, co-wrote the classic rock 'n' roll song "Heartbreak Hotel
", which became the first major hit for Elvis Presley
. Some of Hoyt Axton's own songs were also later recorded by Elvis.
Hoyt Axton's father, John T. Axton, was a Navy 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 burned down on graduation night, a prank gone wrong. Axton attended Oklahoma State
for a short length of time before following his father and enlisting in the Navy. Axton served aboard the USS Ranger
before pursuing a music career.
After his discharge from the Navy on the West Coast, he began singing folk songs in San Francisco nightclubs. In the early 1960s he released his first folk album titled The Balladeer (recorded at the Troubadour); which included his song "Greenback Dollar", a 1963 hit for The Kingston Trio
. Axton released numerous albums well into the 1980s.
Axton had many minor singing hits of his own, such as "Boney Fingers", "When the Morning Comes", and 1979's "Della and the Dealer", as well as "Jealous Man" (the latter two he sang in a guest appearance on WKRP in Cincinnati
). His vocal style featured his distinctive bass-baritone (which later deepened to near-bass) and use of characterization.
But his most lasting contributions were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" and "Never Been to Spain" (Three Dog Night
), the previously mentioned "Greenback Dollar" (Kingston Trio), "The Pusher
" and "Snowblind Friend" (Steppenwolf
), "No-No Song" (Ringo Starr
), and an array of others, covered by singers such as Joan Baez
, John Denver
, Waylon Jennings
, and Anne Murray
. Axton also sang a couple of duets
with Linda Ronstadt
, including "Lion in Winter" and "When the Morning Comes
" (a top 40 country hit). His most popular and signature song, "Joy to the World", as performed by Three Dog Night
, was number 1 on the charts for six straight weeks in 1971, making it the top hit of the year.
Axton first appeared on television in a David L. Wolper
ABC production of The Story of a Folksinger (1963). In 1965, he appeared in an episode of Bonanza
, then followed with other TV roles over the years. As he matured, Axton as an actor specialized in playing good ol' boy
s on television and in films. His face became well-known in the 1970s and 1980s through many TV and film appearances, such as in the movies Gremlins
and The Black Stallion
. He sang the jingle "Head For the Mountains" in the Busch beer commercials in the 1980s (and also "The Ballad of Big Mac", touting McDonald's
Big Mac
on screen in a 1969 commercial he filmed for the hamburger franchise).
Axton spent some time struggling with cocaine addiction and several of his songs, including "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend", and "No-No Song", partly reflect his negative drug experiences. He had been known as an opponent of drug use for many years when, in February 1997, he and his wife were arrested at their Montana home for possession of approximately 500 grams of marijuana
, a little over a pound. His wife explained later that she offered Axton marijuana to relieve pain and stress following a 1995 stroke; both were fined and given deferred sentences.
Axton never fully recovered from his stroke, and still had to use a wheelchair much of the time. His mother, Mae, drowned in a hot tub at her Tennessee home in 1997. Hoyt Axton died of a heart attack
in Victor
, Montana
, on October 26, 1999, at the age of 61. Axton had suffered a severe heart attack two weeks earlier and experienced another one while undergoing surgery in Montana.
On November 1, 2007 he and his mother were inducted posthumously to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
in Muskogee
, Oklahoma
.
"Della and the Dealer" and "Hotel Ritz" both became minor hit singles in the UK after extensive playing by the British D.J. Terry Wogan
on his BBC Radio 2
breakfast programme of the time.
Axton also composed and sang the theme song to the short-lived television sitcom Flo
. Several songs for the 1977 film Outlaw Blues
was composed by Axton and sung by Peter Fonda
.
The Rousters
was a short-lived television sitcom (1983) with Axton as 'Cactus' Jack Slade. The show starred Chad Everett
as Wyatt Earp III, the grandson of the legendary Wyatt Earp
, and Jim Varney
as his dim-witted brother, Evan.
In the mid '90s, Axton was chosen to host and narrate the profile series The Life and Times on The Nashville Network
, in which a different country music figure was spotlighted each hour. His voice was heard throughout and he was seen on-camera doing the introduction and closing of each show in which he participated.
Axton also showed up as the narrator for two documentaries of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Race in 1982 and 1983 called Desperate Dreams.
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, and a film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voice. As he matured, some of his songwriting efforts became well known throughout the world. Among them were "Joy to the World
Joy to the World (Hoyt Axton song)
"Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening words, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"...
", The Pusher
The Pusher
"The Pusher" is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton, made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider which used Steppenwolf's version to accompany the opening scenes of drug trafficking....
and "Greenback Dollar".
Biography
He was born in Duncan, OklahomaDuncan, Oklahoma
Duncan is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 23,431 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stephens County.The official birthdate of the town is considered to be when the first train arrived there on June 27, 1892...
and spent his pre-teen years in Comanche, Oklahoma
Comanche, Oklahoma
Comanche is a city in Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,556 at the 2000 census.-History:Comanche is a small city in southwest Oklahoma set in rolling prairie land interspersed with oil fields, ranches, farms, pecan orchards, and timbered areas...
with his brother, John. His mother, Mae Boren Axton
Mae Boren Axton
Mae Boren Axton was known in the music industry as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville'...
, co-wrote the classic rock 'n' roll song "Heartbreak Hotel
Heartbreak Hotel
"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first...
", which became the first major hit for Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Some of Hoyt Axton's own songs were also later recorded by Elvis.
Hoyt Axton's father, John T. Axton, was a Navy officer stationed in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
; the family joined him there in 1949. Axton graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1956 and left town after Knauer's Hardware burned down on graduation night, a prank gone wrong. Axton attended Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater
Oklahoma State University–Stillwater is a land-grant, sun-grant, coeducational public research university located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA. OSU was founded in 1890 under the Morrill Act...
for a short length of time before following his father and enlisting in the Navy. Axton served aboard the USS Ranger
USS Ranger
USS Ranger is a historic name in the United States Navy, and has been used by one ship of the Continental Navy and nine ships of the U.S. Navy:* The first was an 18-gun ship sloop built in 1777 and commanded by John Paul Jones...
before pursuing a music career.
After his discharge from the Navy on the West Coast, he began singing folk songs in San Francisco nightclubs. In the early 1960s he released his first folk album titled The Balladeer (recorded at the Troubadour); which included his song "Greenback Dollar", a 1963 hit for The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio
The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds...
. Axton released numerous albums well into the 1980s.
Axton had many minor singing hits of his own, such as "Boney Fingers", "When the Morning Comes", and 1979's "Della and the Dealer", as well as "Jealous Man" (the latter two he sang in a guest appearance on WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati
WKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
). His vocal style featured his distinctive bass-baritone (which later deepened to near-bass) and use of characterization.
But his most lasting contributions were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" and "Never Been to Spain" (Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
), the previously mentioned "Greenback Dollar" (Kingston Trio), "The Pusher
The Pusher
"The Pusher" is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton, made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider which used Steppenwolf's version to accompany the opening scenes of drug trafficking....
" and "Snowblind Friend" (Steppenwolf
Steppenwolf (band)
Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
), "No-No Song" (Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
), and an array of others, covered by singers such as Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, John Denver
John Denver
Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
, Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, and Anne Murray
Anne Murray
Morna Anne Murray CC, ONS is a Canadian singer in pop, country and adult contemporary styles whose albums have sold over 54 million copies....
. Axton also sang a couple of duets
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
with Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, including "Lion in Winter" and "When the Morning Comes
When the Morning Comes (song)
"When the Morning Comes" is a single by American country music artist Hoyt Axton. Released in February 1974, it was the first single from his album Life Machine. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in...
" (a top 40 country hit). His most popular and signature song, "Joy to the World", as performed by Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
, was number 1 on the charts for six straight weeks in 1971, making it the top hit of the year.
Axton first appeared on television in a David L. Wolper
David L. Wolper
David Lloyd Wolper was an American television and film producer, responsible for shows such as Roots, The Thorn Birds, North & South, L.A. Confidential, and the film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory...
ABC production of The Story of a Folksinger (1963). In 1965, he appeared in an episode of Bonanza
Bonanza
Bonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
, then followed with other TV roles over the years. As he matured, Axton as an actor specialized in playing good ol' boy
Good ol' boy
Good ol' boy is an American slang term that can have both positive and negative meanings, depending on context and usage.The term can be used for well socialized men who live in rural and generally Southern areas. If a man is humble and well thought of, he can be referred to as a "good old boy",...
s on television and in films. His face became well-known in the 1970s and 1980s through many TV and film appearances, such as in the movies Gremlins
Gremlins
Gremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
and The Black Stallion
The Black Stallion (film)
The Black Stallion is a 1979 American film based on the 1941 classic children's novel The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, who is shipwrecked on a desert island, together with a wild Arabian stallion whom he befriends...
. He sang the jingle "Head For the Mountains" in the Busch beer commercials in the 1980s (and also "The Ballad of Big Mac", touting McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Big Mac
Big Mac
The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by McDonald's, an international fast food restaurant chain. It is one of the company's signature products...
on screen in a 1969 commercial he filmed for the hamburger franchise).
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, a little over a pound. His wife explained later that she offered Axton marijuana to relieve pain and stress following a 1995 stroke; both were fined and given deferred sentences.
Axton never fully recovered from his stroke, and still had to use a wheelchair much of the time. His mother, Mae, drowned in a hot tub at her Tennessee home in 1997. Hoyt Axton died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Victor
Victor, Montana
Victor is a census-designated place in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 859 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Victor is located at ....
, Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
, on October 26, 1999, at the age of 61. Axton had suffered a severe heart attack two weeks earlier and experienced another one while undergoing surgery in Montana.
On November 1, 2007 he and his mother were inducted posthumously to the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame
The Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, located in Muskogee, Oklahoma, honors Oklahoma musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The induction ceremony and concert is held each year in Muskogee...
in Muskogee
Muskogee, Oklahoma
Muskogee is a city in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States. It is the county seat of Muskogee County, and home to Bacone College. The population was 38,310 at the 2000 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in Oklahoma....
, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
.
Albums
| Year | Album | Chart Positions | Label | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country | US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
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 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart Positions | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
CAN Country | CAN Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... |
CAN AC | |||
| 1963 | "Green Back Dollar" | — | — | — | — | — | Greenback Dollar |
| 1973 | "Sweet Misery" | — | — | — | — | — | Less Than the Song |
| 1974 | "When the Morning Comes When the Morning Comes (song) "When the Morning Comes" is a single by American country music artist Hoyt Axton. Released in February 1974, it was the first single from his album Life Machine. The song peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. It also reached number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in... " (with Linda Ronstadt Linda Ronstadt Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden... ) |
10 | 54 | 1 | 72 | 20 | Life Machine |
| "Boney Fingers" | 8 | — | 8 | — | 31 | ||
| 1975 | "Nashville" | 61 | 106 | — | — | — | Southbound |
| "Lion in the Winter" (with Linda Ronstadt) | 57 | — | — | — | — | ||
| "In a Young Girl's Mind" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1976 | "Flash of Fire" | 18 | — | 9 | — | — | Fearless |
| "Evangelina" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1977 | "You're the Hangnail in My Life" | 57 | — | 42 | — | — | Snowblind Friend |
| "Little White Moon" | 65 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1979 | "Della and the Dealer" | 17 | — | — | — | — | A Rusty Old Halo |
| "A Rusty Old Halo" | 14 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980 | "Wild Bull Rider" | 21 | — | — | — | — | |
| "Evangelina" | 37 | — | 44 | — | — | ||
| "Boozers Are Losers (When Benders Don't End)" | — | — | — | — | — | Where Did the Money Go | |
| "Where Did the Money Go" | 80 | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981 | "Flo's Yellow Rose" | 78 | — | — | — | — | single only |
| "The Devil" | 86 | — | — | — | — | Live! | |
| "(We've Got To) Win This One" | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
| 1982 | "(When You Dance) You Do Not Tango" | — | — | — | — | — | Where Did the Money Go |
| "There Stands the Glass There Stands the Glass "There Stands the Glass" is a country song that was written by Russ Hull, Mary Jean Shurtz and Audrey Greisham, and was a hit for Webb Pierce in 1953. It was Pierce's fifth release to hit number one on the country charts... " |
— | — | — | — | — | Pistol Packin' Mama | |
| "Pistol Packin' Mama" | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | "Warm Storms and Wild Flowers" | — | — | — | — | — | |
| "If You're a Cowboy" | — | — | — | — | — | single only | |
Selective list of songs
Among his best-known compositions (or co-writing credits) are:- "I'm a Good Ole Rebel"
- "Greenback Dollar" covered byCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
The Kingston TrioThe Kingston TrioThe Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds... - "The PusherThe Pusher"The Pusher" is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton, made popular by the 1969 movie Easy Rider which used Steppenwolf's version to accompany the opening scenes of drug trafficking....
", covered by SteppenwolfSteppenwolf (band)Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
on their debut album in 1968. This version was also used in the soundtrack of the classic 1969 motion picture "Easy RiderEasy RiderEasy Rider is a 1969 American road movie written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern, produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. It tells the story of two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and South with the aim of achieving freedom...
" - "No-No Song", which became a #3 hit for Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
in March 1975 - "Never Been To Spain", covered by Three Dog NightThree Dog NightThree Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
, Waylon JenningsWaylon JenningsWaylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
, and Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".... - "Joy to the WorldJoy to the World (Hoyt Axton song)"Joy to the World" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, and made famous by the band Three Dog Night. The song is also popularly known by its opening words, "Jeremiah was a bullfrog"...
", the Three Dog NightThree Dog NightThree Dog Night is an American rock band best known for their music from 1968 to 1975. During that time the band charted 21 Billboard top 40 hits in America, three of which reached Number One...
hit from April 1971 which held US #1 for six weeks - "Snowblind Friend" (1971), covered by SteppenwolfSteppenwolf (band)Steppenwolf are a Canadian-American rock group that was prominent in the late 1960s. The group was formed in 1967 in Los Angeles by vocalist John Kay, guitarist Michael Monarch, bassist Rushton Moreve, keyboardist Goldy McJohn and drummer Jerry Edmonton after the dissolution of Toronto group The...
- "Lightning Bar Blues" (1973), covered by Brownsville StationBrownsville Station (band)Brownsville Station was a rock band from Michigan that was popular in the 1970s. Original members included Cub Koda , Mike Lutz , T.J. Cronley , and Tony Driggins...
and Arlo GuthrieArlo GuthrieArlo Davy Guthrie is an American folk singer. Like his father, Woody Guthrie, Arlo often sings songs of protest against social injustice...
(also a big hit for the Finnish band Hanoi RocksHanoi RocksHanoi Rocks was a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, whose most successful period came in the early 1980s. The band broke up in 1985 after the death of their drummer, Nicholas "Razzle" Dingley...
in the '80s) - "Sweet Misery" (1974), covered byCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
John DenverJohn DenverHenry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success... - "The Morning Is Here" (1974)
- "Boney Fingers" (1974)
- "Della and the Dealer" (1979) (Reached the top 20 of the BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Country charts in the USA and the top 50 of the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
pop charts) - "Hotel Ritz" (1979)
- "Rusty Ol' Halo" (1979)
- "Hangnail In My Life" Snowblind Album (1977)
"Della and the Dealer" and "Hotel Ritz" both became minor hit singles in the UK after extensive playing by the British D.J. Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan
Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...
on his BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
breakfast programme of the time.
Movie appearances
- Smoky
- The Black StallionThe Black Stallion (film)The Black Stallion is a 1979 American film based on the 1941 classic children's novel The Black Stallion by Walter Farley. It tells the story of Alec Ramsey, who is shipwrecked on a desert island, together with a wild Arabian stallion whom he befriends...
- Heart Like a WheelHeart Like a Wheel (film)Heart Like a Wheel is a 1983 biographical film based on the life of drag racing driver Shirley Muldowney. It stars Bonnie Bedelia and Beau Bridges....
- GremlinsGremlinsGremlins is a 1984 American horror comedy film directed by Joe Dante, released by Warner Bros. The film is about a young man who receives a strange creature—called a Mogwai—as a pet, which then spawns other creatures who transform into small, destructive, evil monsters. It was followed by a sequel,...
- Cloud DancerCloud DancerCloud Dancer is a 1980 adventure drama film directed by Barry Brown. It stars David Carradine, Jennifer O'Neill and Joseph Bottoms. The film follows a competition aerobatic pilot. It had its premiere in Milwaukee on 29 May, 1980.-Plot:...
- Disorganized CrimeDisorganized CrimeDisorganized Crime is a 1989 heist/comedy film set in Montana. It was written and directed by Jim Kouf and released through Touchstone Pictures...
- We're No AngelsWe're No Angels (1989 film)We're No Angels is a 1989 comedy film directed by Neil Jordan. It stars Robert De Niro, Sean Penn, and Demi Moore.-Plot:A couple of 1930s Great Depression-era convicts, Ned and Jim, jailed on never-specified charges and abused by a ruthless warden, are dragged along when a vicious killer named...
- The JunkmanThe JunkmanThe Junkman is a 1982 independent film which spent two years in production. To make the film, H. B. Halicki used his own personal collection of over 200 cars, toys, and guns - including Eleanor, the star of his 1974 cult classic Gone in 60 Seconds....
- Deadline Auto TheftDeadline Auto TheftDeadline Auto Theft is a 1983 independent film written and directed by H.B 'Toby' Halicki, made up of scenes from Gone in 60 Seconds and The Junkman, as well as new material featuring Hoyt Axton.- Plot :...
- Buried Alive
- Buried Alive II
- Dixie Lanes
- Liar's MoonLiar's MoonLiar's Moon is a 1982 film directed by David Andrew Fisher and starring Matt Dillon, Cindy Fisher, Yvonne DeCarlo, and Hoyt Axton.-Synopsis:...
- Christmas Comes to Willow CreekChristmas Comes to Willow CreekChristmas Comes to Willow Creek is a 1987 American film made for TV and directed by Richard Lang and produced by Billie André and Blue André The screenplay was written by Michael Norell and Andy Siegel,...
- Endangered Species
- Kingfish
- Harmony Cats
Television appearances
- The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
- McCloud
- I Dream of JeannieI Dream of JeannieI Dream of Jeannie is a 1960s American sitcom with a fantasy premise. The show starred Barbara Eden as a 2,000-year-old genie, and Larry Hagman as an astronaut who becomes her master, with whom she falls in love and eventually marries...
- Domestic LifeDomestic Life"Domestic Life" is a single by American country music artist John Conlee. Released in 1987, it was the first single from the album American Faces. The song reached #4 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.-Chart perofrmance:...
- Dukes of HazzardDukes of HazzardThe Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
- BonanzaBonanzaBonanza is an American western television series that both ran on and was a production of NBC from September 12, 1959 to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 430 episodes, it ranks as the second longest running western series and still continues to air in syndication. It centers on the...
- Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carolhttp://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326163/
- WKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in CincinnatiWKRP in Cincinnati is an American situation comedy that featured the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson and was based upon his experiences working in advertising sales at Top 40 radio station WQXI in Atlanta...
(performed "Della and the Dealer" and "Jealous Man") - FloFloFlo is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from 1980 to 1981. The series is a spin-off for Polly Holliday who portrayed the sassy and street-smart waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the sitcom Alice...
- Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
(as fictional country/western impresario "Wes McKinney") - Murder, She WroteMurder, She WroteMurder, She Wrote is an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher. The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. It was followed by four TV films and a spin-off series,...
- Growing PainsGrowing PainsGrowing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
- Faerie Tale TheatreFaerie Tale TheatreFaerie Tale Theatre is a live-action children's television anthology series retelling popular fairy tales. Shelley Duvall serves as narrator, host and executive producer of the program, and occasionally stars in episodes...
- "Goldilocks and the Three BearsGoldilocks and the Three Bears (Faerie Tale Theatre episode)Goldilocks and the Three Bears is the 9th episode of the television anthology Faerie Tale Theatre. The story is based on the Robert Southey's story Goldilocks and the Three Bears and stars Tatum O'Neal as Goldilocks.-Plot:...
" - The Bionic WomanThe Bionic WomanThe Bionic Woman is an American television series starring Lindsay Wagner that aired for three seasons between 1976 and 1978 as a spin off from The Six Million Dollar Man. Wagner stars as tennis pro Jaime Sommers who is nearly killed in a skydiving accident. Sommers' life is saved by Oscar Goldman ...
- "Road to Nashville" - The RoustersThe RoustersThe Rousters is a 1983 NBC television series about a group of modern-day bounty hunters who are descendants of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. Despite advertising claims that this series would "sink The Love Boat" in the ratings, it ran for only one season of 13 episodes.-Premise:Wyatt Earp III works...
Axton also composed and sang the theme song to the short-lived television sitcom Flo
Flo
Flo is an American sitcom which aired on CBS from 1980 to 1981. The series is a spin-off for Polly Holliday who portrayed the sassy and street-smart waitress Florence Jean "Flo" Castleberry on the sitcom Alice...
. Several songs for the 1977 film Outlaw Blues
Outlaw Blues
Outlaw Blues is a 1977 film that stars Susan Saint James and Peter Fonda. It was directed by Richard T. Heffron and is rated PG in the USA. Many of the songs were sung by Fonda and three of songs from the film were written by Hoyt Axton.-Plot summary:...
was composed by Axton and sung by Peter Fonda
Peter Fonda
Peter Henry Fonda is an American actor. He is the son of Henry Fonda, brother of Jane Fonda, and father of Bridget and Justin Fonda...
.
The Rousters
The Rousters
The Rousters is a 1983 NBC television series about a group of modern-day bounty hunters who are descendants of legendary lawman Wyatt Earp. Despite advertising claims that this series would "sink The Love Boat" in the ratings, it ran for only one season of 13 episodes.-Premise:Wyatt Earp III works...
was a short-lived television sitcom (1983) with Axton as 'Cactus' Jack Slade. The show starred Chad Everett
Chad Everett
Chad Everett is an American actor who has appeared in over 40 films and television series but is probably best known for his role as Dr. Joe Gannon in the 1970s television drama Medical Center.-Early life:...
as Wyatt Earp III, the grandson of the legendary Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
, and Jim Varney
Jim Varney
James Albert "Jim" Varney, Jr. was an American stand-up comedian, actor, musician, writer, voice artist, and comedian, best known for his role as Ernest P...
as his dim-witted brother, Evan.
In the mid '90s, Axton was chosen to host and narrate the profile series The Life and Times on The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network
The Nashville Network, usually referred to as TNN, was an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming included music videos, taped concerts, movies, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows...
, in which a different country music figure was spotlighted each hour. His voice was heard throughout and he was seen on-camera doing the introduction and closing of each show in which he participated.
Axton also showed up as the narrator for two documentaries of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Race in 1982 and 1983 called Desperate Dreams.