Hoyt Wayne Axton (b. 1938 - d. 1999 ) , was a popular American folk/country… Read Full Bio ↴Hoyt Wayne Axton (b. 1938 - d. 1999 ) , was a popular American folk/country/ pop singer born in Duncan Oklahoma and who died at age 61 in Bitteroot Montana. He achieved platinum success as a solo act & songwriter in the music biz, but also eventually turned movie and tv actor. His best known roles were as the protagonist's father in the 80's children's films "Gremlins" and "The Black Stallion". His behind the scenes accomplishments included penning Three Dog Night's biggest song "Joy to the World" and many other hits for acts such as Ringo Starr and Cher during his heyday in the 60's and 70's.
Other artists to record his music over time included Elvis Presley, Cher, Joan Baez, Waylon Jennings, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker,Arlo Guthrie, Martha Reeves and even 90's Cali punk band Ten Foot Pole.
Early Career :
The young Hoyt was an All-American athlete replete with football scholarship to Oklahoma State University, which he soon left to join the U.S Navy. During his military stint he was the heavyweight champion boxer in his task force division of 35 ships.
After serving in the armed forces, he arrived in Nashville with a guitar on a tip from his mother Mae Boren Axton (who co-wrote Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis Presley). Hoyt soon split Tennesee for California's burgeoning folk scene during the early 60's. He played the clubs in San Francisco's North Beach and made the scene in L.A as well.
Roger McGuinn remembered Hoyt Axton as a struggling singer who taught him a tune backstage in 1962 at the Troubadour in L.A. "We recorded it live at the Troubadour later that week, and when it came out, I was surprised to see the credit "Here as well is the delightful Australian folk ballad, Brisbane Ladies, on which Jimmy McQuinn of the Chad Mitchell Trio harmonizes with Hoyt." In spite of the misspelled name, I was glad to have been able to sing with Hoyt. I really loved the song too!" The song appeared on Hoyt's debut LP for the Horizon label, McGuinn later formed the Byrds with David Crosby.
Axton's songwriting prowess was eventually noticed after the Kingston Trio recorded Greenback Dollar in 1963 just hours after seeing Axton live. The song eventually appeared on 3 Billboard charting albums but Hoyt made a mere $800.00 from the song..."I was just a kid with a guitar living in a car... How could I sue when the whole point of the song was how I didn't give a damn about a greenback dollar?"
Paying Dues, Paying Bills :
In the late 60's Steppenwolf eventually recorded Axton's The Pusher and Snowblind Friend, two dramatic denouncements of the dark side of drug use. John Kay, a young aspiring singer and dishwasher also used to see Axton perform in the early 60's around L.A. He later told Axton, 'When you sang 'The Pusher,' I'd come out of the kitchen with a towel in my hand, saying that if I ever get a band, I'm gonna record that song'."
The Pusher, in particular, paid off at a good time for Hoyt: "I had two houses, three kids, two cars, $400 in the bank and bills to pay. The bank repossessed the Mercedes-Benz, and said I'd never get credit again," he remembers. "One Saturday morning, I went to the mailbox and there was a check for $14,000 for the use of the song in the film Easy Rider".
Hits like "Never Been To Spain" ("but i kinda like the music") and "The No Song" ("No, no, no, I don't smoke it no more") which went to number three on the U.S. charts for the newly solo Ringo Starr helped keep the money rolling in.
His songs seemed to showcase his optimism and singular sense of humor. A version of Joy to The World by Three Dog Night became the biggest selling record of 1971 ("Jeremiah was a bullfrog..."). Axton's own singing hits included "Boney Fingers" ("Work your fingers to the bone, what do you get? Boney fingers"). "When the Morning Comes", a duet he recorded with Linda Ronstadt from 1974's Life Machine album, which went to number one on the Canadian charts.
As the singer songwriter trend dried up in the latter 70's Axton continued to record for his own label Jeremiah, beginning in '78. 1979's " Rusty Old Halo" album produced his last two major hits, " Della and the Dealer" and the title track.
Later Career:
Axton had numerous negative music business dealings with many labels and by the early nineties his work on Horizon, A&M, Vee-Jay and MCA was mostly left out of print by short sighted label execs. Maintaining a steady concert schedule was a priority throughout the seventies and eighties that found Axton playing as many as 300 dates a year. He also got in front of the camera, first guesting on "Bonanza" in the 1960's, and then eventually on dozens of TV programs including : "Hootenanny", "Hee-Haw", "Diff'rent Strokes","The Dukes of Hazzard", "Trapper John MD","WKRP in Cincinatti" as well as popular feature films like "The Black Stallion" and "Gremlins". His voice was used in TV commercials for Busch beer, Pizza Hut, and even McDonald's where he was the singing lumberjack who introduced the then-new Big Mac. Hoyt reportedly liked doing commercials so much he didn't even consider it work. He also did voiceover narration for educational films. He bought his ranch in Montana, after playing a sheriff in the movie ''Disorganized Crime,'' filmed there in 1988.
He suffered a debilitating stroke in 1996, and a then suffered a demoralizing medical marijuana bust in 1997 for which he received a three year deferred sentence and was fined $15,000. His health was not good these last few months, including advanced complications from diabetes, spending most of his time in a wheelchair. Axton finally passed away a few days after suffering a heart attack during surgery in a Bitteroot Montana hospital.
A spokesperson for the Academy of Country Music told Associated Press after his death "There was nobody that didn't like Hoyt".
Other artists to record his music over time included Elvis Presley, Cher, Joan Baez, Waylon Jennings, John Denver, Glen Campbell, Tanya Tucker,Arlo Guthrie, Martha Reeves and even 90's Cali punk band Ten Foot Pole.
Early Career :
The young Hoyt was an All-American athlete replete with football scholarship to Oklahoma State University, which he soon left to join the U.S Navy. During his military stint he was the heavyweight champion boxer in his task force division of 35 ships.
After serving in the armed forces, he arrived in Nashville with a guitar on a tip from his mother Mae Boren Axton (who co-wrote Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis Presley). Hoyt soon split Tennesee for California's burgeoning folk scene during the early 60's. He played the clubs in San Francisco's North Beach and made the scene in L.A as well.
Roger McGuinn remembered Hoyt Axton as a struggling singer who taught him a tune backstage in 1962 at the Troubadour in L.A. "We recorded it live at the Troubadour later that week, and when it came out, I was surprised to see the credit "Here as well is the delightful Australian folk ballad, Brisbane Ladies, on which Jimmy McQuinn of the Chad Mitchell Trio harmonizes with Hoyt." In spite of the misspelled name, I was glad to have been able to sing with Hoyt. I really loved the song too!" The song appeared on Hoyt's debut LP for the Horizon label, McGuinn later formed the Byrds with David Crosby.
Axton's songwriting prowess was eventually noticed after the Kingston Trio recorded Greenback Dollar in 1963 just hours after seeing Axton live. The song eventually appeared on 3 Billboard charting albums but Hoyt made a mere $800.00 from the song..."I was just a kid with a guitar living in a car... How could I sue when the whole point of the song was how I didn't give a damn about a greenback dollar?"
Paying Dues, Paying Bills :
In the late 60's Steppenwolf eventually recorded Axton's The Pusher and Snowblind Friend, two dramatic denouncements of the dark side of drug use. John Kay, a young aspiring singer and dishwasher also used to see Axton perform in the early 60's around L.A. He later told Axton, 'When you sang 'The Pusher,' I'd come out of the kitchen with a towel in my hand, saying that if I ever get a band, I'm gonna record that song'."
The Pusher, in particular, paid off at a good time for Hoyt: "I had two houses, three kids, two cars, $400 in the bank and bills to pay. The bank repossessed the Mercedes-Benz, and said I'd never get credit again," he remembers. "One Saturday morning, I went to the mailbox and there was a check for $14,000 for the use of the song in the film Easy Rider".
Hits like "Never Been To Spain" ("but i kinda like the music") and "The No Song" ("No, no, no, I don't smoke it no more") which went to number three on the U.S. charts for the newly solo Ringo Starr helped keep the money rolling in.
His songs seemed to showcase his optimism and singular sense of humor. A version of Joy to The World by Three Dog Night became the biggest selling record of 1971 ("Jeremiah was a bullfrog..."). Axton's own singing hits included "Boney Fingers" ("Work your fingers to the bone, what do you get? Boney fingers"). "When the Morning Comes", a duet he recorded with Linda Ronstadt from 1974's Life Machine album, which went to number one on the Canadian charts.
As the singer songwriter trend dried up in the latter 70's Axton continued to record for his own label Jeremiah, beginning in '78. 1979's " Rusty Old Halo" album produced his last two major hits, " Della and the Dealer" and the title track.
Later Career:
Axton had numerous negative music business dealings with many labels and by the early nineties his work on Horizon, A&M, Vee-Jay and MCA was mostly left out of print by short sighted label execs. Maintaining a steady concert schedule was a priority throughout the seventies and eighties that found Axton playing as many as 300 dates a year. He also got in front of the camera, first guesting on "Bonanza" in the 1960's, and then eventually on dozens of TV programs including : "Hootenanny", "Hee-Haw", "Diff'rent Strokes","The Dukes of Hazzard", "Trapper John MD","WKRP in Cincinatti" as well as popular feature films like "The Black Stallion" and "Gremlins". His voice was used in TV commercials for Busch beer, Pizza Hut, and even McDonald's where he was the singing lumberjack who introduced the then-new Big Mac. Hoyt reportedly liked doing commercials so much he didn't even consider it work. He also did voiceover narration for educational films. He bought his ranch in Montana, after playing a sheriff in the movie ''Disorganized Crime,'' filmed there in 1988.
He suffered a debilitating stroke in 1996, and a then suffered a demoralizing medical marijuana bust in 1997 for which he received a three year deferred sentence and was fined $15,000. His health was not good these last few months, including advanced complications from diabetes, spending most of his time in a wheelchair. Axton finally passed away a few days after suffering a heart attack during surgery in a Bitteroot Montana hospital.
A spokesperson for the Academy of Country Music told Associated Press after his death "There was nobody that didn't like Hoyt".
Double Dare
Hoyt Axton Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'Double Dare' by these artists:
acid android I dare you to be real To touch to touch a…
Annihilator Across the room, see your eyes watching me, charming lies Wa…
Bau Haus I dare you, to be real To touch a flickering…
Bauhaus I dare you, to be real To touch a flickering…
Bauhaus - Topic I dare you, to be real To touch a flickering…
CXLE Oh my god I love this song Hit me on a…
Just B Double dare Double, double dare Double, double, double Doubl…
KITCHEN - Yo La Tengo I, I should know You shouldn't have to tell me Sometimes it'…
Max Creek Down the hallway, open up the front door Take a right…
Momma Morning in July Got a souped up motor on the county…
tisaKOREAN Ay, I told her double dare We at the carnival, I…
Waterparks Maybe I'm, maybe I'm tired (tired) Maybe I'm, maybe I'm tire…
Yo La Tengo I, I should know You shouldn't have to tell me Sometimes it'…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Hoyt Axton:
A Rusty Old Halo I know a man as rich as a king Still he…
Alice in Wonderland Alice in wonderland, Your ticket's in your hand, Shufflin'…
Ashville Junction Its Ashville Junction Lord Swannanoa Tunnel And it's done ca…
Battle of New Orleans In 1814 we took a little trip Along with Colonel Jackson…
Beelzebub's Laughter Night has come to the Vietnam jungle Rain falls into the…
Better Lovin' Man You talk about your woman: I got women too. As a matter…
Betty La Rue She was three days late, two dollars short And her eyes…
Billie I never dreamed You'd mean a thing to me, But…
Blind Fiddler I lost my eyes in a blacksmith shop in the…
Blue Prelude Oh let me sigh, Yeah let me cry, when I'm blue, Let…
Bluebird I've been going down that long lonesome road Boy i've been…
Boney Fingers See the rain comin' down and the roof won't hold…
Boozers Are Losers Chorus: Boozers are losers when benders don't end Whiskey, I…
California Women Talk about your women in Birmingham, An' a little from Balt…
Country Anthem Do you really think you'd recognise him, If he came walkin'…
Cowboys On Horses With Wings Just smile for me and let the day begin You are…
Daddy Walked in Darkness You know my momma walked by his side They never ever…
Della & the Dealer It was Della and the Dealer and a dog named…
Devil It's been rainin' in the mountains and the river's on…
Don't Fence Me In Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies…
Ease Your Pain If I could ease your pain, If I could lighten your…
Epistle In the searchin' eyes of someone's daughter, There's a hope…
Evangelina And I dream in the morning That she brings me water. And…
Everybody [Chorus] Take a bridge across a river wide Everybody's goi…
Everybody's Goin' On The Road [Chorus] Take a bridge across a river wide Everybody's goin …
Farther Along Life's evenin' sun is sinkin' low. Well, a few more days…
Five Hundred Miles If you miss this train I'm on, then you'll know…
Geronimo Hey,boys take me back I wanna ride in Geronimo's Cadillac …
Goin [Chorus] Take a bridge across a river wide Everybody's goi…
Good Lookin And if a good lookin mama make a good lookin…
Gotta Keep Rollin I was just a stranger passin' through your town Somethin' bo…
Greenback Dollar Some people say I'm a no-'count Others say I'm no good But…
Greensleeves Alas my love, oh you do me wrong to cast me…
Have a Nice Day When it all comes down I hope it doesn't land on…
Heartbreak Hotel Well, since my baby left me, I found a new place…
Heaven Heaven was a girl I loved When I used to live…
Hey Mr. Pilot Man "Hoyt Axton, ladies and gentlemen The big one: Hey Mr Pilot…
Honky Tonk Music Every night i work the places Neon lights and lonely faces P…
Hoochie Koochie Man The gypsy woman told my mother Before I was born I got…
Hotel Ritz It was the Hotel Ritz down in Madrid Spain she…
I When I was young I dreamed of highways I never knew…
I Love To Sing I love to sing, I love to sing And I sometimes…
In A Young Girl Hand me my guitar, there's a song I was singin' When…
Indian Song First came the wagons, then came the trains They drove the…
It So hard to give it all up when you have…
Jambalaya Goodbye Joe, me gotta go, me oh, my oh Me gotta…
Jealous Man Hustler talkin' on the telephone You better leave my woman a…
Joy to the World Jeremiah was a bull frog Was a good friend of mine I…
Joy to the World (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog) Jeremiah was a bullfrog He was a good friend of mine I…
Lay Lady Lay Lay, lady, lay, lay across my big brass bed Lay, lady,…
Less Than The Song I am less than the song I am singing I am…
Lightnin' Bar Blues I don't need no diamond ring I don't need no Cadillac…
Lightning Bar Blues CHORUS: I don't need no diamond ring I don't need no…
Lion In The Winter Like a lion in the winter, I can hear the…
Midnight In Memphis It's midnight in Memphis All the girls are out tonight It's …
My Carolina Sunshine Girl You make me think of my sweetheart A little girl I…
Nashville I remember all those nights in good old Nashville Hangin' o…
Never Been to Spain Well I never been to Spain But I kinda like the…
No No Song A lady that I know, just came from Columbia She smiled…
Officer Ray Officer Ray, may your hens never lay May the rats eat…
Oh I'm A Good Old Rebel Sang by the group: Songs Of The Civil War &…
Oh! Susanna Well I come from Alabama with my banjo on my…
Peacemaker It was a war bond That payed the doctor When he was…
Pistol Packin Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down, Pistol-pac…
Pistol Packin' Mama Lay that pistol down, babe, lay that pistol down, Pistol-pa…
Poncho & Lefty Livin' on the road my friend Is gonna make you free…
Poncho And Lefty Livin' on the road my friend, is gonna make you…
Pride Of Man Pride of man do you understand what you've been stealing Ma…
Roll Your Own If you don't like the way they make 'em in…
Rusty Old Halo I know a man as rich as a king Still he…
Snow Blind Friend You say it was this morning when you last saw…
So Hard To Give It All Up So hard to give it all up when you have…
Somebody Turned On The Light I've been to wild montana I went there in a storm…
Sometimes It's Easy I used to laugh a lot that's why my face…
Southbound Is your glass half empty is your glass half full…
Speed Trap I'm the cop in a little bitty town And I don't…
Straighten Up and Fly Right The buzzard took the monkey for a ride in the…
Sweet Fantasy I had a dream and I saw you standin' and…
Sweet Misery Heard you had some trouble Thought I'd try to help you In…
Telephone Booth Seventeen years in a telephone booth Waiting on the loan of…
That Well, that's all right, mama That's all right for you That…
The Balladeer Well I have been most everywhere A travellin man can go I've…
The Battle Of New Orleans In 1814 we took a little trip Along with Colonel Jackson…
The Devil It's been rainin' in the mountains and the river's on…
The Heart You Break The heart you break may be your own The thing that…
The Hotel Ritz It was the Hotel Ritz down in Madrid Spain she…
The Pusher You know I smoked a lot of grass And I popped…
Thomas Hall So early, so early, so early one mornin' As I was…
Thunder 'N Lightnin' Yeah, it was a thundering and thundering and lightening, You…
Torpedo She said you're a living legend I said thank you…
Viva Pancho Villa In an old cantina down in Mexico A bunch of dreamers…
When the Mornin Comes (And) When the morning comes and you gotta get up How…
Where Did the Money Go I search for the meaning in a life Confusing me for…
Whiskey I think it was early this mornin' Whiskey came to…
Wild Bull Rider Dixie was a lady and a Rodeo Queen Billy was…
Yellow Rose of Texas There's a yellow rose in Texas That I am going to…
You (When You Dance)…
You're the Hangnail in My Life You're the dead corsage that's in my frigidaire You're the f…
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Red
My favorite Hoyt song! The 60s garage scene is STILL unrivaled
J C
This and The Pusher are my favorite Hoyt songs.
Raine Radtke
YESSSSS!!!!
gnz
eh, someone have the lyrics? por favor!
chris brown
Bob's favorite!
mojs garage k
A new one for me