Mae Boren Axton

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Mae Boren Axton (born September 14, 1914 in Bardwell (Texas) , † April 9, 1997 in Hendersonville (Tennessee) ) was an American reporter, teacher, radio presenter , PR agent and songwriter . Alone or with co-authors she wrote about 200 songs, the most famous of which is Heartbreak Hotel , Elvis Presley's first number 1 hit in 1956. She has been referred to as the "Queen Mother of Nashville" and "First Lady of Rock 'n' Roll" .

biography

ML and Nannie Boren's only daughter had eight brothers. Her brother Lyle Boren was a member of the United States House of Representatives and his son David L. Boren was Governor of Oklahoma .

When Mae was two years old, the family moved to Oklahoma. Mae studied journalism, worked as a reporter, and married John T. Axton, a US Navy officer . They had two sons, Hoyt , who was a country singer, and John, who became a lawyer.

They moved to Jacksonville, Florida , where both spouses worked as teachers. Mae began writing songs with musicians like Glen Reeves and Tommy Durden. She also worked for the well-known country singer Hank Snow .

In 1955 Mae saw young Elvis Presley at a concert in Jacksonville. She convinced the music manager Colonel Tom Parker to sign the singer. Parker got Presley a record deal with RCA Records , and Mae Boren Axton wrote the song Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis, who was also named as the third author, with Tommy Durden .

Although Mae Boren Axton wrote numerous other songs, Heartbreak Hotel remained her only top hit. She worked as a PR agent and radio host . In 1973 she published her memoir "Country Singers As I Know 'Em". In 1977 she wrote the cover text for the album The King Is Gone by Ronnie McDowell , a tribute to Elvis Presley, who had recently passed away before.

In 1985 Mae Boren Axton was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame. In 1992 she founded her own record label DPJ Records, on which her son Hoyt also released.

Mae Boren Axton died on April 9, 1997 in Hendersonville, Tennessee. In 2007 she was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame with Hoyt Axton .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Spencer Leigh: Obituary: Mae Boren Axton . The Independent , April 15, 1997 (English)
  2. ↑ a b Brenda L. Madden: Remembering Mae Boren Axton . Country Entertainment USA (English)
  3. ↑ a b c Axton, Mae Boren (1914-1997) ( Memento of the original of November 9, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . Biography in the "Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History & Culture" (English) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / digital.library.okstate.edu
  4. ↑ a b c Allmusic, see web links
personal data
SURNAME Axton, Mae Boren
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Boren, Mae (maiden name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American reporter, teacher, radio host, PR agent, and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH September 14, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Bardwell, Texas
DATE OF DEATH April 9, 1997
Place of death Hendersonville, Tennessee