| Hoyt Axton was born on March 25, 1938, in Duncan, Oklahoma. Axton's mother, Mae Boren Axton, co-wrote Elvis Presley's hit "Heartbreak Hotel". Axton attended Robert E. Lee High in Jacksonville, Florida, where he played
football and won a football scholarship to Oklahoma State University.
In the late 1950s, Axton left college to join the Navy. After leaving the
Navy in 1961, Axton headed to California and played folk music for the San
Francisco coffee-house circuit.
In 1963, Axton co-wrote "Greenback Dollar" which was a hit for
the Kingston Trio. In the late sixties, he wrote "The Pusher"
which Steppenwolf performed for the soundtrack of Easy Rider.
In 1971, Three Dog Night scored a number one hit with Axton's
Joy to the World". Later that same year the group had a hit
with Axton's "Never Been to Spain". In 1975, Ringo Starr
released his recording of Axton's "The No No Song" which reached
number three on the US charts.
Axton has released over 30 albums.
He also toured during the 1970s and 1980s - playing as many as 300
dates a year.
Outside of music, Axton also published a book of his original line drawings
and appeared on TV and in films.
Axton died at his ranch home in Montana on October 26, 1999. Visitor Comments:Connections:Hoyt Axton ... |
