Hoyt Axton was born in Oklahoma in 1938, to a father who was
an officer in the American Navy, and a mother (Mae Axton) who was famous for writing the Elvis
hit, Heartbreak Hotel. (She also introduced
Elvis to Col Tom Parker). Hoyt was
brought up for some time in Florida. He
was in the American Navy for a time and then in the early 60s, he started out
singing folk songs, in San Francisco.
The Folk revival in the 1960s, which led the Irish Clancy brothers
to fame, has been portrayed in the film Inside Llewyn Davies..
Axton had a warm personality
and a deep and sweet country voice, and he started to act in movies and TV, as
well as singing. He had a part in
Bonanza, and many other TV shows.
He wrote many songs that were made famous by other singers, but
one his best is the well-known “Della and the Dealer”…
He struggled with cocaine addiction for many years, but eventually had a
stroke and died, sadly at the far too early age of 61. I remember Hoyt particular in Dukes of
Hazzard, where he annoys Boss Hogg with the song he sings when caught in Roscoe’s
Speed Trap. The song he chooses is
called “I’m the cop in a little Southern town”, about a corrupt sheriff
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