Hoyt Axton Birthplace — Duncan, Oklahoma

Hoyt Axton was born on March 25, 1938, in Duncan, Oklahoma, into a family for whom songwriting was almost genetic. His mother, Mae Boren Axton, co-wrote 'Heartbreak Hotel' with Tommy Durden in 1955 — the song that launched Elvis Presley's RCA career and became one of the best-selling singles in history. Hoyt grew up immersed in the music business from childhood and developed into a songwriter of remarkable commercial instinct alongside a genuine folk and country sensibility that gave his best work lasting depth.

Axton's songwriting catalogue is extraordinary in its range and impact: 'The Pusher' was recorded by Steppenwolf and used to devastating effect in Easy Rider (1969), becoming one of the defining songs of the counterculture; 'Joy to the World' — the 'Jeremiah was a bullfrog' song — was a massive Three Dog Night hit in 1971 and remains one of the most played songs in American radio history; 'Never Been to Spain' was another Three Dog Night recording; 'Greenback Dollar' was a Kingston Trio hit. Few songwriters have placed songs with such different acts across such different genres.

Duncan, in Stephens County in south-central Oklahoma, is an oil-patch town with no specific Axton museum. His Oklahoma roots — the flat, working landscape of the southern plains — are audible in his music's directness and lack of pretension. Axton also had a parallel acting career, appearing in numerous films and television shows. He died of a heart attack on October 26, 1999, at his ranch in Victor, Montana.