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 also a prolific character actor with many film and television roles to his credit, often playing a father figure in a number of films including The Black Stallion (1979), Heart Like a Wheel (1983) 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, cowrote the 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, where the family joined him in 1949.

Axton graduated from Robert E. Lee High School in 1956 and left town after a hardware store was destroyed by fire on graduation night following a misguided prank.

He attended Oklahoma State University on a scholarship, where he played football, but he left to enlist in the U.S. 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 a cousin of musician Arlo Guthrie. He was also the first cousin of David Boren, who served as governor of Oklahoma and three terms in the United States Senate and was also president of the University of Oklahoma.

Career
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 1970s. In the mid-1970's he produced studio covers of his own music for John Davidson, and also produced Tales From the Ozone, a 1975 album by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. He released many minor hits of his own, such as "Boney Fingers", "When the Morning Comes" and 1979's "Della and the Dealer". 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 appeared in an episode of Bonanza in which he sang duets with Pernell Roberts. In 1966, he made his film debut in Smoky playing the role of Fred Denton, the evil brother of the character played by Fess Parker. He gained fame in the 1970s and 1980s through his film roles, including those in The Black Stallion (1979), Liar's Moon (1982), Heart Like a Wheel (1983) and Gremlins (1984). His television appearances included McCloud (1976), The Bionic Woman (1976), WKRP in Cincinnati (1979) and Diff'rent Strokes (1984, 1985). In 1980, he sang the theme song to the short-lived series Flo, and guest-starred as himself in the episode titled "You Gotta Have Hoyt". Axton sang the jingle "The Ballad of Big Mac" for a 1969 McDonald's Big Mac television commercial as well as "Head for the Mountains" in voiceovers for Busch beer in the 1980s. He appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1985 and in a TV spot for FTD with Merlin Olsen in 1989. In 1991 Axton was awarded an induction to The Walk of Western Stars in Newhall, California.

Axton's most lasting contributions, however, were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" (Three Dog Night) and "Never Been to Spain" for both Three Dog Night and Elvis Presley, "Greenback Dollar" for the Kingston Trio, "The Pusher" and "Snowblind Friend" for Steppenwolf, "No No Song" for Ringo Starr, and songs covered by singers such as Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, John Denver, Nina Simone, Waylon Jennings, Martha Reeves, Jonathan Edwards, Glen Campbell, Anne Murray, David Clayton-Thomas and Colter Wall. Axton sang duets with Linda Ronstadt on the songs "Lion in the Winter" and "When the Morning Comes", with Renee Armand on "Boney Fingers" and with Tanya Tucker on "You Taught Me How to Cry." His composition "Joy to the World", performed by Three Dog Night, reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 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
Axton was married four times; his first three marriages ended in divorce. He had five children. One of his children, Matt Axton, is a musician.

Axton struggled with cocaine addiction, and several of his songs, including "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend" and "No No Song", partly reflect his experiences with the drug. He was a proponent of medical marijuana use, but he and his wife Deborah were arrested in February 1997 at their Montana home for possession of about 500 g 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 received deferred sentences. Axton never fully recovered from his stroke, and he used a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.

Death
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 Boren Axton were inducted posthumously into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Selected list of songs
Among Axton's best-known compositions (or co-writing credits) are:
 * "Greenback Dollar" - covered by the Kingston Trio and many others.
 * "The Pusher" - covered by Steppenwolf on their debut album in 1968; this version was also used in the soundtrack of the 1969 film Easy Rider. Nina Simone recorded the song in 1971. Blind Melon, Isla Grant, Helix and The Flaming Lips also covered the song.
 * "Have a Nice Day" (1971) - covered by Bing Crosby and John Davidson
 * "Less Than The Song" (1972) - covered by Joan Baez, John Davidson and Patti Page
 * "Lion In The Winter" (1974) - duet with Linda Ronstadt. Covered by Faan Rousseau Family Band, Isla Grant and Guthrie Girls
 * "Southbound" (1975) - covered by Three Dog Night and Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
 * "No No Song" (1975) - became a #3 hit for Ringo Starr in March 1975
 * "Never Been to Spain" - covered by Three Dog Night, Waylon Jennings, Elvis Presley, Cher, and Ike & Tina Turner, and others
 * "Joy to the World" - Three Dog Night hit from 1971 that spent six weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Little Richard and Matt Axton also covered the song.
 * "Snowblind Friend" (1971) - covered by Steppenwolf, David Allan Coe, and Chestnut Station
 * "Lightning Bar Blues" (1973) - covered by Commander Cody, Brownsville Station, Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie and Hanoi Rocks
 * "Sweet Misery" (1974) - covered by John Denver, Martha Reeves, and Matt Axton
 * "Sweet Fantasy" (1974) - covered by Glen Campbell and David Clayton-Thomas
 * "Ease Your Pain" (1971) - covered by Bobby Whitlock, Anne Murray, Glenn Yarbrough and Jackie DeShannon
 * "When the Morning Comes" (1974) - duet with Linda Ronstadt
 * "You Taught Me How to Cry" - 1977 duet with Tanya Tucker. Covered by Matt Axton.
 * "Boney Fingers" (1974) - duet with Renee Armand. Armand was co-writer.
 * "Jealous Man" (1976) - performed on WKRP in Cincinnati; covered by John Fullbright
 * "Della and the Dealer" (1979) - also performed on WKRP; reached the top 20 of the Billboard country chart in the U.S. and the top 50 of the British pop chart
 * "Evangelina" (1974) - covered by Arlo Guthrie, Albert Lee, Jonathan Edwards, Colter Wall and others
 * "Flash of Fire" (1976) - co-written by Cathy Smith
 * "Gypsy Moth" (1976) - covered by Freddie White and Nathaniel Rateliff
 * "In a Young Girl's Mind" (1975) - covered by Johnny Cash

Film appearances

 * Smoky (1966) – Fred Denton
 * The Black Stallion (1979) – Alec's father
 * Skinflint: A Country Christmas Carol (1979, TV Movie) – Cyrus Flint
 * Cloud Dancer (1980) – Brad's mechanic
 * Liar's Moon (1982) – Cecil Duncan
 * The Junkman (1982) – Himself / Cap. Gibbs / Rev. Jim Beam (voice)
 * Endangered Species (1982) – Ben Morgan
 * The Black Stallion Returns (1983) – Narrator (voice)
 * Heart Like a Wheel (1983) – Tex Roque
 * Deadline Auto Theft (1983) – Captain Gibbs
 * Fred C. Dobbs Goes to Hollywood (1983)
 * Gremlins (1984) – Randall Peltzer
 * Act of Vengeance (1986, TV Movie) – Silous Huddleston
 * Retribution (1987) – Lt. Ashley
 * Christmas Comes to Willow Creek (1987, TV Movie) – Al Bensinger
 * Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story (1987, TV Movie) - Charlie Hartford
 * Dixie Lanes (1988) – Clarence Laidlaw
 * Disorganized Crime (1989) – Sheriff Henault
 * We're No Angels (1989) – Father Levesque
 * Buried Alive (1990, TV Movie) – Sheriff Sam Eberly
 * Harmony Cats (1992) – Bill Stratton
 * Space Case (1992) - Charlie
 * Season of Change (1994) – Big Upton
 * Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long (1995, TV Movie) – Huey P. Long, Sr.
 * Number One Fan (1995) – Lt. Joe Halsey
 * King Cobra (1999) – Mayor Ed Biddle

Several songs for the 1977 film Outlaw Blues were composed by Axton and sung by Peter Fonda. Axton also contributed songs for the films The Legend of Hillbilly John (1972), Buster and Billie (1974), Mitchell (1975), and The Junkman (1982).

Television appearances

 * The Story of a Folksinger (TV special, 1963) - Himself
 * Hootenanny (1964) – Himself
 * Bonanza (1965, Season 6, Episode 27: "Dead and Gone") – Howard Mead
 * Iron Horse (1966) – Slash Birney
 * I Dream of Jeannie (1966, Season 2, Episode 7: "Fastest Gun in the East") – Bull
 * The Midnight Special (1973) (musical guest)
 * The Hoyt Axton Country Western Boogie Woogie Gospel Rock and Roll Show (1975) – Himself. NBC TV special featuring Linda Ronstadt, Arlo Guthrie and Ringo Starr.
 * The Bionic Woman (1976) – Buck Buckley
 * Dinah! (1976) (musical guest)
 * McCloud (1977) – Johnny Starbuck
 * Hee Haw (1977) (musical guest)
 * Flying High (1978) - Himself
 * Hee Haw Honeys (1979) (musical guest)
 * The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1979) (musical guest)
 * WKRP in Cincinnati (1979, performed "Della and the Dealer" and "Jealous Man") – T.J. Watson
 * Austin City Limits (1979) (musical guest)
 * The Dukes of Hazzard (1981) (musical guest)
 * Flo (1981) (musical guest)
 * Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1982, Season 1, Episode 3: "Challenges," and Episode 8: "Rodeo", in which he sang "I Dream of Highways") – Cooper Johnson
 * The Rousters (1983–1984) – Cactus Jack Slade
 * Diff'rent Strokes (1984-1985) – Wes McKinney
 * Domestic Life (1984) – Rip Steele
 * Faerie Tale Theatre (1984, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears") – Forest Ranger
 * Cover Up (1984) - John Cody
 * Glitter (1985) - Christie's father
 * The Steel Collar Man (series pilot, 1985) - Red
 * Trapper John, M.D. (1985) - Jack Dearborne
 * Dallas: The Early Years (1986, TV Movie) – Aaron Southworth
 * Murder, She Wrote (1988) – Sheriff Tate
 * Midnight Caller (1990) – Ralston Cash Dollar
 * Growing Pains (1990) – Claver Jackson
 * Doorways (1993, series pilot) - Jake Mitchell

In 1992 Axton narrated The Alaska Highway: 1942-1992 a documentary about the history of the Alaska Highway that was produced by public television station KAKM of Anchorage and shown nationally on PBS. In the mid-1990s, Axton was chosen to host and narrate the profile series 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 served as the narrator for two documentaries about the Western States Endurance Race in 1982 and 1983 titled Desperate Dreams.