Boxcar Willie
Boxcar Willie (born September 1, 1931 as Lecil Travis Martin in Red Oak , Texas , † April 12, 1999 in Branson , Missouri ) was an American country singer whose career began in England in the mid-1970s. He embodied the character of the singing hobo (migrant worker) and became known in the USA in the 1980s. Boxcar is the English term for a boxcar , the preferred means of travel of migrant workers.
biography
Beginnings
Lecil Travis Martin, who comes from a family of railway workers, dreamed of a life as a hobo as a child. He even managed to climb freight cars and travel across the country a few times. He was also passionate about country music. His role models were the singing railroad worker Jimmie Rodgers , but also the honky-tonk stars Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff . At the age of 16 he had his first regular appearances in Dallas . From 1949 to 1976 he worked as a flight engineer and pilot in the US Air Force . He flew B-29, B-36, KC-97 and lastly C-5. After the double burden of flight service and appearances became too great and was no longer responsible to the other crew members, he resigned from the Air Force.
In the late 1950s he tried to get into the country scene as Marty Martin . It was the time when rock 'n' roll dominated and country music was going through a serious crisis. Martin had to keep his head above water with everyday jobs and had few opportunities to perform. An album produced in 1958 was unsuccessful.
In the 1970s he worked as a disc jockey for a radio station in Corpus Christi, Texas . In 1976 he wrote the song Boxcar Willie and then developed the character of the good-natured, singing hobo. From then on he was in a tramp outfit and unshaven on the stage. The audience reaction was encouraging and he decided to try another career with his family in Nashville .
Career
After the first difficult year in Nashville, boxcar replaced Willie George Jones at a club appearance and was spotted by a British music agent on that occasion. He booked him for a tour of Scotland. He quickly became a star in Great Britain and was soon the most famous country musician there. His embodiment of the singing hobo was better received by the British than the pop closeness of his Nashville rivals. His big breakthrough came in 1979 at the Wembley Festival, where he was celebrated with standing applause. His album King of the Road , which was released in the same year, achieved high sales in England and placed 8th in the British album charts in 1980.
Now Nashville became aware of the new star. He received an award as "the most promising young musician"; Boxcar Willie was already 50 years old at the time. He became a permanent member of the Grand Ole Opry and was celebrated there as well as in his annual appearances at the Wembley Festival. His open, straightforward manner and his tradition-oriented music were well received by the country audience. The whistle of a locomotive, which he has been able to imitate in a deceptively similar manner since childhood, became his signature feature. His records were not selling well in the United States. Only two of his singles were able to place in the middle of the country charts. His most famous song was Bad News , which reached number 36 on the country charts in 1982.
Further activities, illness and death
In addition to his musical activities, he appeared in several films and was a member of the Hee Haw Show . In 1981 he was named "World Ambassador of Hobos" at an international hobo meeting. Boxcar Willie developed leukemia in 1996 and died on April 12, 1999 in Branson, Missouri. He was buried in the Ozarks Memorial Park in Branson.
Commemoration
An overpass in Red Oak, Texas was named Boxcar Willie Memorial Overpass in his honor . A small park in Washington, DC was named Boxcar Willie Park after him .
Discography
Albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
 Country
|
|||
| 1981 | King of the Road |
Country54 (7 weeks) Country |
|
| 1982 | Last Train to Heaven featuring Lee Gentry |
Country27 (37 weeks) Country |
|
| Best of Boxcar, Vol. 1 |
Country34 (41 weeks) Country |
||
| 1983 | ... Not the Man I Used to Be |
Country35 (32 weeks) Country |
More albums
- 1976: Marty Martin Sings Country Music
- 1976: Boxcar Willie Sings Hank Williams & Jimmie Rodgers
- 1977: Daddy Was a Railroad Man
- 1980: Take Me Home
- 1982: Good ol 'Country Songs
- 1986: The Very Best of Boxcar Willie
- 1988: Live at Wembley
- 1988: Best Loved Favorites
- 1991: Pure Country Magic
- 1991: Truck Driving Favorites
- 1993: Rocky Box: Rockabily (with The Skeletons)
- 1994: The Spirit of America
- 1996: Achy Breaky Heart
- 2004: American Songs - The Very Best of Johnny Cash & Boxcar Willie
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Country
|
|||
| 1980 | Train Medley Take Me Home |
Country61 (11 weeks) Country |
Highest ranking after re-publication in 1983
|
| 1982 | Bad News Last Train to Heaven |
Country36 (12 weeks) Country |
|
| We Made Memories Last Train to Heaven |
Country77 (5 weeks) Country |
with Penny DeHaven
|
|
| Last Train to Heaven Last Train to Heaven |
Country80 (4 weeks) Country |
||
| Keep on Rollin 'Down the Line Last Train to Heaven |
Country70 (6 weeks) Country |
||
| 1983 | Country Music Nightmare Best of Boxcar, Vol. 1 |
Country76 (6 weeks) Country |
|
| The Man I Used to Be ... Not the Man I Used to Be |
Country44 (12 weeks) Country |
||
| 1984 | Not on the Bottom Yet ... Not the Man I Used to Be |
Country87 (3 weeks) Country |
|
| Luther ... Not the Man I Used to Be |
Country69 (6 weeks) Country |
literature
- Erlewine, Michael u. a. (Ed.): All Music Guide to Country Music. The experts guide to the best recordings in country music . San Francisco, Cal .: Miller Freeman Books, 1997, p. 47f
- Cathy O'Brien and Mark Phillips: The American Trance Formation
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Official Biography of Lecil Travis Martin aka Boxcar Willie.
- ^ Ehnert, Günter: Hit Records. British Chart LPs 1962-1986. Hamburg: Taurus Press, 1987, p. 24
- ^ Whitburn, Joel: Top 40 Country Hits 1944-2006. New York: Billboard Books, 2006, p. 51
- ↑ Boxcar Willie (1931-1999) - Find A Grave Memorial . Findagrave.com. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
- ↑ a b Chart sources: US
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Boxcar Willie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Martin, Lecil Travis (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American country singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | September 1, 1931 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Red Oak , Texas, USA |
| DATE OF DEATH | April 12, 1999 |
| Place of death | Branson , Missouri, USA |