Raised in Duncan and later Comanche, Oklahoma, Hoyt Axton grew up in a musical family-his mother co-wrote “Heartbreak Hotel”-and after a brief stint at Oklahoma State University and service as a petty officer aboard the USS Princeton and USS Ranger, he turned to folk performance on West Coast venues. Launching his recording career in 1960s, he issued The Balladeer, featuring “Greenback Dollar” whi…
