North Florida Music Hall of Fame

Axton Family

Born in Duncan, Oklahoma 1938, singer-songwriter son of Mae Axton; father a Navy officer stationed in Jacksonville; family settled there in 1949. Axton graduated from Jacksonville’s Lee High in 1956 and left town amidst a furor after burning down—as a prank — Knauer’s Hardware on graduation night. He briefly attended Oklahoma State before joining the Navy himself. He was discharged in San Francisco, where he became part of the local folk scene and hooked up with Steppenwolf’s managers. Hits included “Greenback Dollar” (Kingston Trio, 1962), “Joy to the World” (Three Dog Night), “The Pusher” (Steppenwolf), and “The No No Song” (Ringo Starr), among others. Died in Nashville, 1999. Also see Axton, Mae.