A lot of people have forgetten he was a songwriter and singer. He wrote two of Three Dog Nights biggest hits. Never Went to Spain and Joy to the World.
He recorded and toured for years. I especially love his two appearances with a very young and very cute Linda Ronstadt. This most of been just after she left the Stone Poneys.
My favorites he did was Greenback Dollar and Della and the Dealer.
And he wrote “Snowblind Friend,” which was a hit for Steppenwolf. His mother, Mae Boren Axton, co-wrote “Heartbreak Hotel.” He was in Gremlins?:eek:
:smack: not to mention he wrote “The Pusher,” huge hit for Steppenwolf and featured in “Easy Rider”
Yep, knew that about him. The first time I saw him was as Shirley Muldowney’s dad in Heart Like a Wheel.
He was very talented. A drug problem messed him up. He wrote about it in songs like Cocaine.
He also wrote “City Of New Orleans”. I understood he played slide guitar for Arlo Guthrie’s recording of it. The thing that struck me was that it was said that he used a straight razor for a slide.
I knew Hoyt Axton as a singer/songwriter first, and was surprised to see him in Gremlins.
That was Steve Goodman.
Axton wrote Boney Fingers which was a helluva good drunken party song and No No Song which was a bit of a hit for Ringo Starr. Didn’t know he was in Gremlins but I remember him in Heart Like a Wheel.
He also wrote “The No-No Song,” which was a minor hit for Ringo Starr.
Here’s Ringo, performing with the Smothers Brothers.
EDIT - ninja’d!
My, My, My, My, MITCHELL!
This. I saw *Gremlins *so long ago, I barely remember it, especially who was in it. But I do know Axton was a singer/songwriter.
I think you may be confusing that with his performance of Battle of New Orleans, which he also did not write.
He was wonderful in The Black Stallion.
You might be thinking of Joe Don Baker?
In addition to his Gremlins and The Black Stallion appearances, Hoyt was also in an episode of WKRP In Cincinnati titled “I Do…I Do For Now”.
Don’t we all?
Did Hoyt write I’m a Good Ol’ Rebel?
It doesn’t seem so. Ry Cooder credits it to “Traditional”, and Axton’s version is included on Songs of the Civil War, which is comprised of period pieces.
No, Joe Don Baker played Mitchell in the movie of the same name. Hoyt Axton performed the theme song. Here’s a clip from the movie, with the song used as the soundtrack of a not-very-sexy love scene. (wish we still had the vomiting smiley)
He also did not write Cocaine, too.
This whole thread feels weird to me. Anyone remember that Glen Campbell guy from True Grit? 
