Hoyt Axton

**Hoyt Wayne Axton** (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999)[1] was an American folk music singer-songwriter, guitarist, 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 became well known throughout the world. Among them were "Joy to the World", "The Pusher", "No No Song", "Greenback Dollar", "Della and the Dealer", and "Never Been to Spain".[2]

fter his discharge from the navy, he began singing folk songs in San Francisco nightclubs. 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.[2]

In 1966, Axton made his film debut in the movie *Smoky* playing the role of Fred Denton, the evil brother of actor Fess Parker. In 1979, Axton appeared on the PBSmusic program *Austin City Limits* during Season 4.

Axton was managed by Martin Pichinson and released numerous albums well into the 1980s. He had many minor 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 the TV sitcom *WKRP in Cincinnati*). His vocal style featured his distinctive bass-baritone (which later deepened to near-bass) and use of characterization.

However, his most lasting contributions were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" and "Never Been to Spain" (Three Dog Night); "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, Arlo Guthrie, BJ Thomas, John Denver, Waylon Jennings, Jonathan Edwards, 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 composition "Joy to the World", as performed by Three Dog Night, was #1 on the charts 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.[2]

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 onscreen in a 1969 commercial he filmed for the hamburger franchise). Axton also appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1985, and in a TV ad for FTD Florists with Merlin Olsen in 1989.

Axton first appeared on television in a David L. Wolper ABC production of *The Story of a Folksinger* (1963). He frequently appeared on *Hootenanny*, hosted by Jack Linkletter during this period. In 1965, he appeared in an episode of *Bonanza*, then followed with other TV roles over the years. As he matured, Axton specialized in playing good ol' boys 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 *Liar's Moon* (1982) playing poor-but-happy farmer Cecil Duncan who is crushed to death when a stack of metal pipes falls on him, *The Black Stallion* (1979) as the main character's father, and *Gremlins* (1984) as the protagonist's father.