Boxcar Willie
Boxcar Willie ( born September 1, 1931 as Lecil Travis Martin in Red Oak, Texas; † 12 April 1999 in Branson, Missouri) was an American country singer whose career began in the mid-1970s in England. He embodied the character of the singing hobos ( migrant workers ) and thus became known in the 1980s in the United States. Boxcar is the English term for freight train, the preferred travel agent for Migrant Workers.
Biography
Originally from a railway family Lecil Travis Martin dreamed as a child of a life as a hobo. He succeeded even to climb a few times, wagons and traveling through the country. In addition, he was enthusiastic about country music. His models were the singing railwaymen Jimmie Rodgers, but also the honky- tonk Stars Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff. At 16 he had his first regular appearances in Dallas. He then spent several years as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.
In the late 1950s, he tried to gain a foothold in the country music scene as Marty Martin. It was the time in which dominated the rock and roll and country music experienced a serious crisis. Martin had to keep up with everyday jobs of all kinds and had little opportunity to gigs. A 1958 produced album was not successful.
In the 1970s he worked as a disc jockey at a radio station in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1976 he wrote the song Boxcar Willie, and then developed the figure of the good-natured, singing hobos. From then on he was in tramp outfit and unshaven on stage. The audience response was encouraging, and so he decided with his family in Nashville 's company in a new career attempt.
Career
After the first difficult year in Nashville Boxcar Willie took an ailing George Jones at a club appearance and was discovered on this occasion by a British music agents. This booked him for a tour of Scotland. In the UK, he soon became a star and there was soon the most famous country musician. His incarnation of the singing hobos came with the British seem to be better than the pop near his competitors from Nashville. The big breakthrough came in 1979 at the Wembley Festival, where he was celebrated with standing ovations. His recent album in the same year King of the Road reached high sales figures in England.
Now finally, Nashville became aware of the new star. He promptly received an award as " the most promising young musicians "; Boxcar Willie was at this time already 50 years old. He became a permanent member of the Grand Ole Opry and celebrated there as well as in his annual appearances at Wembley festival. Its open, straightforward manner and his tradition- oriented music came when country public good. To his trademark was the whistle of a locomotive, he could imitate deceptively similar since childhood. In the U.S., his records sold poorly. Only two of his singles could be placed in the central region of the country charts. His most famous song was Bad News, who once landed in 1982 at # 40.
Other 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 appointed to an international meeting on the Hobo " Global Ambassador of the Hobos ". 1996 Boxcar Willie became ill with leukemia and died on 12 April 1999 in Branson, Missouri. He was buried in the Ozarks Memorial Park in Branson ..
Commemoration
An Overpass ( overpass ) in Red Oak, Texas was named in his honor Boxcar Willie Memorial Overpass. A small park in Washington, D.C. was named after him Boxcar Willie Park.