finetune artist: Boxcar Willie

b. Lecil Travis Martin, 1 September 1931, Sterratt, Dallas, Texas, USA, d. 12 April 1999, Branson, Missouri, USA. Martin sang "Daddy Was A Railroad Man" with pride and conviction, as his father was a farmer and section hand on the railway, who sympathized with the hobos. His son's own love of trains was reflected in "I Love The Sound Of A Whistle". As a youngster, Martin ran away to ride the rails but he was always brought back to school. He developed an early love of country music and recorded many songs associated with Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Williams and Lefty Frizzell, as well as writing several tributes - "Hank, You Still Make Me Cry", "Hank And The Hobo" and "Lefty Left Us Lonely". An 11-year stint as an air force pilot was followed by work as a disc jockey in Boise, Idaho. Although his first album was released in the late 50s (as Marty Martin), it was not until 1975 that he decided to create the character of Boxcar Willie, adopted from the title of one of his songs. The cover of the first Boxcar Willie album showed him in battered hat, striped bib overalls, crumpled jacket and worn-out shoes, and included "The Lord Made A Hobo Out Of Me". Boxcar Willie's noted "Train Medley" featured a lightning seven songs and seven train-whistles in four minutes. The jokey name and love of train whistles led to wide public recognition for Boxcar Willie, although he was later mocked by country star David Allan Coe. An appearance at the 1979 Wembley Country Music Festival in London, England, set the scene for his astonishing popularity in that country, with the British public drawn in by the nostalgic myths of rural America represented in his hobo persona.

Listen to Boxcar Willie at Finetune.

Big Freight Train Carry Me Home
Hobo Heaven
My Heart's Deep In The Heart Of Texas
Boxcar's My Home
Ain't Gonna Be Your Day