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 "The Pusher" is a rock song written by Hoyt Axton in 1963, made popular by the 1969 movie '' Easy Rider'' which used Steppenwolf's version to accompany the opening scenes showing drug trafficking. The lyrics of the song distinguish between ...

", "

No No Song "No No Song" is a 1974 song by English musician Ringo Starr. Written by Hoyt Axton and David Jackson, it appeared on Starr's 1974 album, ''Goodnight Vienna''. It was released as a single in the US on 27 January 1975, backed with " Snookeroo," and ...

", "Greenback Dollar", "Della and the Dealer", "

Never Been to Spain "Never Been to Spain" is a song written by Hoyt Axton, originally released on his 1971 LP ''Joy to the World'' and later that year performed by Three Dog Night, with Cory Wells on lead vocal. It was featured on their 1971 album ''Harmony (Three Do ...

", and "Boney Fingers". 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 ''Gremlins'' is a 1984 American black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante, written by Chris Columbus and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, Polly Holliday and Frances Lee McCain, with Howie Mandel providing the voic ...

'' (1984).

Early life

Born in

Duncan, Oklahoma Duncan is a city in and the county seat of Stephens County, Oklahoma, United States. Its population was 22,310 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Centrally located in Stephens County, Duncan became the county seat after Oklahoma achie ...

, Axton spent his preteen years in Comanche, Oklahoma, with his brother John. His mother

Mae Boren Axton Mae Boren Axton (born Mae Boren; September 14, 1914 – April 9, 1997) was an American singer-songwriter. She was known in the music industry as the "Queen Mother of Nashville". She co-wrote the Elvis Presley hit single "Heartbreak Hotel" with Tom ...

, a songwriter, cowrote the song "

Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being g ...

", which became a major hit for

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...

. 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 Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

, 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 Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...

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 Petty officer second class (PO2) is a rank found in some navies and maritime organizations. Canada Petty officer, 2nd class, (PO 2), is a Naval non-commissioned member rank of the Canadian Forces. It is senior to the rank of master sailor (f ...

and served on two ships, the USS ''Princeton'' (CV-37) and the USS ''Ranger ''(CVA-61). Axton was a cousin of musician

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...

. He was also the first cousin of

David Boren David Lyle Boren (April 21, 1941 – February 20, 2025) was an American lawyer and politician from Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 21st governor of Oklahoma from 1975 to 1979 and thr ...

, who served as governor of Oklahoma and three terms in the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

and was also president of the

University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...

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 The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

. Axton released numerous albums throughout the 1960s and 1970s through Vee-Jay, Capitol, A&M, MCA and other labels, and on his own Jeremiah Records, which he founded in 1978. In the mid-1970s, 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 Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were an American country rock band founded in 1967. The group's leader and co-founder was pianist and vocalist George Frayne IV, alias Commander Cody (born July 19, 1944, in Boise, Idaho; died September ...

. 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 Characterization or characterisation is the representation of characters (persons, creatures, or other beings) in narrative and dramatic works. The term character development is sometimes used as a synonym. This representation may include dire ...

. Axton first appeared on television in a David L. Wolper ABC production of ''The Story of a Folksinger'' (1963). He appeared on ''

Hootenanny A hootenanny is a freewheeling, improvisatory musical event in the United States, often incorporating audience members in performances. It is particularly associated with folk music. Etymology Meanings Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism ...

'', hosted by

Jack Linkletter Arthur Jack Linkletter (November 20, 1937 – December 18, 2007) was an American game show and television host and entertainer. He was the son of Art Linkletter. Early life Linkletter was born Arthur Jack Linkletter in San Francisco. He was the ...

, during this period. In 1965, he appeared in an episode of ''

Bonanza ''Bonanza'' is an American Western television series that ran on NBC from September 12, 1959, to January 16, 1973. Lasting 14 seasons and 431 episodes, ''Bonanza'' is NBC's longest-running Western, the second-longest-running Western series on ...

'' 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 Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010)(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" '' CBS ...

. 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 ''

'' (1984). His television appearances included '' McCloud'' (1976), ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction film, science fiction Action-adventure fiction, action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson (producer), Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel Cyborg (novel), ''Cyborg'' by ...

'' (1976), ''

WKRP in Cincinnati ''WKRP in Cincinnati'' is an American sitcom television series about the misadventures of the staff of a struggling fictional AM radio station in Cincinnati, Ohio. The show was created by Hugh Wilson. It was based upon his experiences obs ...

'' (1979), and ''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...

'' (1984, 1985). In 1980, he sang the theme song for 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 McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational fast food chain store, chain. As of 2024, it is the second largest by number of locations in the world, behind only the Chinese ch ...

Big Mac The Big Mac is a brand of hamburger sold by the international fast food restaurant chain McDonald's. It was introduced by a Greater Pittsburgh Region, Greater Pittsburgh area Franchising, franchisee in 1967 and expanded nationwide in 1968, and ...

television commercial, as well as "Head for the Mountains" in voiceovers for Busch beer in the 1980s. He appeared in a

Pizza Hut Pizza Hut, LLC is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Dan and Frank Carney. The chain, headquartered in Plano, Texas, operates 19,866 restaurants worldw ...

commercial in 1985 and in a TV spot for FTD with

Merlin Olsen Merlin Jay Olsen (; September 15, 1940 – March 11, 2010) was an American professional football player, announcer, and actor. For his entire 15-year professional football career he was a defensive tackle with the Los Angeles Rams in the Nationa ...

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 Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, founded by vocalists Chuck Negron, Cory Wells, and Danny Hutton. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael Allsup (guitar), and Floyd Sn ...

) and "

" for both Three Dog Night and

, "Greenback Dollar" for the Kingston Trio, "

" and "Snowblind Friend" for Steppenwolf, "

" for

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the group, us ...

, and songs covered by singers such as

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American Country music, country and Folk music, folk singer, songwriter, and actor. He was one of the most popular acoustic m ...

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

Waylon Jennings Waylon Arnold Jennings (June 15, 1937 – February 13, 2002) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. He is considered one of the pioneers of the Outlaw country, outlaw movement in country music. Jennings started playing ...

, Martha Reeves,

Jonathan Edwards Jonathan Edwards may refer to: Musicians *Jonathan and Darlene Edwards, pseudonym of bandleader Paul Weston and his wife, singer Jo Stafford *Jonathan Edwards (musician) (born 1946), American musician **Jonathan Edwards (album), ''Jonathan Edward ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American country musician and actor. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting ''The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour'' on CBS television from ...

Anne Murray Morna Anne Murray (born June 20, 1945) is a retired Canadian country, pop and adult contemporary music singer who has sold over 55 million album copies worldwide during her over 40-year career. Murray has won four Grammys including the Grammy ...

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...

, David Clayton-Thomas, and

Colter Wall Colter Wall (born June 27, 1995) is a Canadian singer, songwriter, and musician. Known for his deep, gruff baritone voice and narrative songwriting, Wall's music encompasses Country music, country, Canadian folk music, folk, and Western music (No ...

. Axton sang duets with

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

on the songs "Lion in the Winter" and " When the Morning Comes", with Renee Armand on "Boney Fingers", and with

Tanya Tucker Tanya Denise Tucker (born October 10, 1958) is an American country music singer and songwriter who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13. During her career Tucker became one of the few child performers to mature into adulthood ...

on "You Taught Me How to Cry." His composition "Joy to the World", performed by Three Dog Night, reached number one 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 Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...

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 Medical cannabis, medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana (MMJ) refers to Cannabis (drug), cannabis products and cannabinoid, cannabinoid molecules that are prescription drug, prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabi ...

use, but he and his wife Deborah were arrested in February 1997 at their Montana home for possession of about of

marijuana Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...

. 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 Victor is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ravalli County, Montana, United States. The population was 789 at the 2020 Census, compared to 745 at the 2010 census. History Victor is named for Chief Victor of the Bitterroot Salish, whose pro ...

, 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 Muskogee () is the 13th-largest city in Oklahoma and is the county seat of Muskogee County, Oklahoma, Muskogee County. Home to Bacone College, it lies approximately southeast of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Tulsa. The population of the city was 36,878 as of ...

Discography

Albums

Singles

Music videos

Selected list of songs

Among Axton's best-known compositions (or co-writing credits) are: * "Greenback Dollar" - covered by

Bobby Darin Bobby Darin (born Walden Robert Cassotto; May 14, 1936 – December 20, 1973) was an American singer, songwriter, and actor who performed Pop music, pop, Swing music, swing, Folk music, folk, rock and roll, and country music. Darin started ...

Barry McGuire Barry McGuire (born October 15, 1935) is an American singer-songwriter primarily known for his 1965 hit " Eve of Destruction". He was later a singer and songwriter of contemporary Christian music. Early life McGuire was born in Oklahoma City; ...

, Trini Lopez, and many others * "

" - covered by Steppenwolf on their debut album in 1968; this version was also used in the soundtrack of the 1969 film ''

Easy Rider ''Easy Rider'' is a 1969 American road drama film written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern. It was produced by Fonda and directed by Hopper. Fonda and Hopper play two bikers who travel through the American Southwest and the S ...

''.

recorded the song in 1971; also covered by

Blind Melon Blind Melon is an American rock band formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. The band consists of guitarists Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn, drummer Glen Graham, vocalist Travis Warren and bassist Nathan Towne. They are best known ...

, Isla Grant,

Helix A helix (; ) is a shape like a cylindrical coil spring or the thread of a machine screw. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is for ...

The Flaming Lips The Flaming Lips are an American psychedelic rock band formed in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The band currently consists of Wayne Coyne (vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards), Steven Drozd (guitars, bass, keyboards, drums, vocals), Derek Brown ...

and

Slash Slash may refer to: * Slash (punctuation), the "/" character Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Slash (Marvel Comics) * Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'') Music * Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band * Nash th ...

* "Have a Nice Day" (1971) - covered by

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, comedian, entertainer and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwi ...

and John Davidson * "Less Than The Song" (1972) - covered by

, John Davidson and

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), better known by her stage name Patti Page, was an American singer. Primarily known for Pop music, pop and Country music, country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and b ...

* "Lion In The Winter" (1974) - duet with

; covered by Faan Rousseau Family Band, Isla Grant and Guthrie Girls * "Southbound" (1975) - covered by

and Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen * "

" (1975) - became a #3 hit for

in March 1975 * "

" - covered by Three Dog Night,

Cher Cher ( ; born Cheryl Sarkisian, May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Goddess of Pop", she is known for her Androgyny, androgynous contralto voice, Music an ...

, and

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...

, and others * " Joy to the World" - Three Dog Night hit from 1971 that spent six weeks atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart; covered by

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

and Matt Axton * "Snowblind Friend" (1971) - covered by Steppenwolf,

David Allan Coe David Allan Coe (born September 6, 1939) is an American singer and songwriter. Coe took up music after spending much of his early life in reform schools and prisons, and first became notable for busking in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville. He ini ...

, and Chestnut Station * "Lightning Bar Blues" (1973) - covered by Commander Cody, Brownsville Station,

and

Hanoi Rocks Hanoi Rocks were a Finnish Rock music, rock band formed in 1979. They were the first Finnish band to chart in the UK and they were also popular in Japan. By 1984, the band was considered to be on the verge of an international breakthrough when ...

* "Sweet Misery" (1974) - covered by

, Martha Reeves, and Matt Axton * "Sweet Fantasy" (1974) - covered by

and David Clayton-Thomas * "Mary Makes Magic" (1973) - covered by

* "Ease Your Pain" (1971) - covered by

Bobby Whitlock Robert Stanley Whitlock (born March 18, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as a member of the blues-rock band Derek and the Dominos, with Eric Clapton, in 1970–71. Whitlock's musical career began with Memph ...

, Glenn Yarbrough and

Jackie DeShannon Jackie DeShannon (born Sharon Lee Myers; August 21, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter and radio broadcaster who has had many hit song credits beginning in the 1960s, as both a singer and composer. She was one of the first female singer-son ...

* " When the Morning Comes" (1974) - duet with

* "You Taught Me How to Cry" (1977) - duet with

; covered by Matt Axton * "Boney Fingers" (1974) - duet with Renee Armand * "Jealous Man" (1976) - performed on ''

''; 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) - co-written by Kenneth Higginbotham; covered by

Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also m ...

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 John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American singer-songwriter. Most of his music contains themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially songs from the later stages of his career. ...

Film and television appearances

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 An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

'' (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) * ''

'' (1984) – Randall Peltzer * ''Woody Guthrie: Hard Travelin (1984, Documentary) - Himself * '' Act of Vengeance'' (1986, TV Movie) – Silous Huddleston * '' Dallas: The Early Years'' (1986, TV Movie) – Aaron Southworth * '' 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 * ''Gypsy Angels'' (1990) - bit part * '' 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 The king cobra (''Ophiophagus hannah'') is a species complex of snakes Endemism, endemic to Asia. With an average of and a record length of , it is the world's longest venomous snake and among the heaviest. Under the genus ''Ophiophagus'', i ...

'' (1999) – Mayor Ed Biddle Several songs for the 1977 film '' Outlaw Blues'' were composed by Axton and sung by

Peter Fonda Peter Henry Fonda (February 23, 1940 – August 16, 2019) was an American actor, film director, and screenwriter. He was a two-time Academy Award nominee, both for acting and screenwriting, and a two-time Golden Globe Award winner for his a ...

. 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 * ''

'' (1964) – musical guest *''

'' (1965, Season 6, Episode 27: "Dead and Gone") – Howard Mead * '' Iron Horse'' (1966, Season 1, Episode 4: "Right of Way Through Paradise") – Slash Birney * ''

I Dream of Jeannie ''I Dream of Jeannie'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy sitcom television series created by Sidney Sheldon and starring Barbara Eden as a beautiful but guileless 2,000-year-old Jinn, genie and Larry Hagman as an astronaut with whom s ...

'' (1966, Season 2, Episode 7: "Fastest Gun in the East") – Bull * '' The Midnight Special'' (1973) - musical guest * ''

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' is an American television comedy, comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969. The series was a major success, especially consid ...

'' (1975) - 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. * ''

'' (1976, Season 2, Episode 18: "The Road To Nashville") – Buck Buckley * '' Dinah!'' (1976) - musical guest * '' McCloud'' (1977, Season 7, Episode 44: "The Moscow Connection") – Johnny Starbuck * ''

Hee Haw ''Hee Haw'' is an American television variety show featuring country music and humor with the fictional rural "Kornfield Kounty" as the backdrop. It aired from 1969 to 1993, and on TNN from 1996 to 1997. Reruns of the series were broadcast on ...

'' (1977) - musical guest * '' Flying High'' (1978, Season 1, Episode 14: "Great Expectations") - Himself * ''Hee Haw Honeys'' (1979) - musical guest * ''

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson ''The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show was the third installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Johnny Carson, it aired from October 1, 1962 to May 22, 1992, replacing ''T ...

'' (1979) - musical guest * ''

'' (1979, Season 1, Episode 19: "I Do, I Do...For Now") – T.J. Watson * ''

Austin City Limits ''Austin City Limits'' is an American Concert, live music Television show, television program recorded and produced by KLRU, Austin PBS. The show helped Austin become widely known in the United States as the "Live Music Capital of the World", an ...

'' (1979, Season 4, Episode 411) - musical guest * ''

The Dukes of Hazzard ''The Dukes of Hazzard'' is an American action comedy television series created by Gy Waldron that aired on CBS from January 26, 1979, to February 8, 1985, with a total of seven seasons consisting of List of The Dukes of Hazzard episodes, 147 ...

'' (1981, Season 3, Episode 47: "Good Neighbors Duke") - Himself, musical guest * '' Flo'' (1981, Season 2, Episode 26: "You Gotta Have Hoyt") - Himself * '' Barbara Mandrell & the Mandrell Sisters'' (1981, Season 2) - musical guest * ''Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'' (1982, Season 1, Episode 3: "Challenges," and Episode 8: "Rodeo") – Cooper Johnson * '' The Rousters'' (1983–1984) – Cactus Jack Slade * ''

'' (1984, Season 7, Episode 154: "Sam's Father", and Episode 166: "A Camping We Will Go") – Wes McKinney * '' Domestic Life'' (1984, Season 1, Episode 5: "Harold, Can You Spare $4,000?") – Rip Steele * ''

Faerie Tale Theatre ''Faerie Tale Theatre'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre'') is an American award-winning live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series created and presented by actress Shelley Duvall. The series originally ...

'' (1984, Season 3, Episode 9: " Goldilocks and the Three Bears") – Forest Ranger * ''

Cover Up A cover-up is an attempt, whether successful or not, to conceal evidence of wrongdoing, error, incompetence, or other embarrassing information. Research has distinguished personal cover-ups (covering up one's own misdeeds) from relational co ...

'' (1984, Season 1, Episode 3: "Death In Vogue") - John Cody * ''

Glitter Glitter is an assortment of flat, small, reflective particles that are precision cut and come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Glitter particles resemble confetti, sparkles and sequins, but somewhat smaller. Since prehistoric times ...

'' (1985, Season 1, Episode 13: "The Runaway") - Christie's father * ''The Steel Collar Man'' (1985, series pilot) - Red * '' Trapper John, M.D.'' (1985, Season 7, Episode 133: "Game of Hearts: Part 1", and Episode 134: "Game of Hearts: Part 2") - Jack Dearborne * ''

Murder, She Wrote ''Murder, She Wrote'' is an American crime drama television series, created by Peter S. Fischer, Richard Levinson and William Link, starring Angela Lansbury, and produced and distributed by Universal Television for the CBS network. The series f ...

'' (1988, Season 5, Episode 93: "Coal Miner's Slaughter") – Sheriff Tate * '' Midnight Caller'' (1990, Season 2, Episode 30: "Kid Salinas") – Ralston Cash Dollar * ''

Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that ran on ABC for seven seasons from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The series follows the misadventures of the Seaver family, including psychiatrist and fathe ...

'' (1990, Season 5, Episode 118: "Where There's A Will") – Claver Jackson * '' Doorways'' (1993, series pilot) - Jake Mitchell In the 1980s and '90s Axton also lent his distinctive voice to a number of documentary features. He served as the narrator for two documentaries about the Western States Endurance Race in 1982 and 1983, titled ''Desperate Dreams''. In 1991 he narrated the VHS documentary ''Railfair '91'', and the following year he narrated ''The Alaska Highway: 1942-1992'', about the history of the Alaska Highway that was produced by public television station KAKM of

Anchorage Anchorage, officially the Municipality of Anchorage, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Alaska. With a population of 291,247 at the 2020 census, it contains nearly 40 percent of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolita ...

and shown nationally on

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

. In the mid-1990s, Axton was chosen to host and narrate the profile series '' Life and Times'' on

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, game shows, syndicated programs, and numerous talk shows. On September ...

, 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.

References

External links

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Hoyt Axton
at Oklahoma Country Music Hall of Fame * {{DEFAULTSORT:Axton, Hoyt 1938 births 1999 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singer-songwriters American acoustic guitarists American blues guitarists American blues singers American country singer-songwriters American folk guitarists American folk singers American male film actors American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American male television actors American rock guitarists American rock singers Boren family Country musicians from Florida Country musicians from Oklahoma Guitarists from Florida Guitarists from Montana Guitarists from Oklahoma Male actors from Oklahoma Military personnel from Oklahoma Singers from Jacksonville, Florida People from Duncan, Oklahoma People from Victor, Montana Riverside High School (Florida) alumni Singer-songwriters from Florida Singer-songwriters from Oklahoma Songwriters from Montana United States Navy sailors Vee-Jay Records artists Writers from Jacksonville, Florida A&M Records artists Brylen Records artists