Hoyt Axton
First 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.
© Jason Ankeny /TiVo
-
The Balladeer: Recorded Live At The Troubadour (Digitally Remastered) (Live)
Folk - Released by Essential Media Group on 8 Aug 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
American Originals
Folk - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 1 Jan 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Joy To The World
Rock - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 1 Jan 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Griffin Is Gone
Country - Released by Columbia Nashville Legacy on 10 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
-
-
Joy to the World - The Definitive Collection
Country - Released by Hump Head Records on 18 Mar 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Hoyt Axton Sings Bessie Smith
Blues - Released by Good Time Records on 6 Jun 1965
24-Bit 88.2 kHz - Stereo -
Loves to Sing
Country - Released by Good Time Records on 8 Jul 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Country Anthem
Folk - Released by CAPITOL CATALOG MKT (C92) on 1 Jan 1971
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Heartbreak Hotel & Other Favorites (Remastered)
Country - Released by CW Music - EMG on 20 Dec 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lonesome Road
Rock - Released by M.S. Distributing Company on 15 Apr 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Many Faces of Hoyt Axton
Pop - Released by Maestro Entertainment, Corp on 2 Sep 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Greenback Dollar / One More Round (Digital 45)
Hoyt Axton, The Chambers Brothers
Folk - Released by Essential Media Group on 5 Aug 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
The Balladeer: Recorded Live at the Troubadour
Country - Released by Raccoon Records on 5 Nov 2013
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo