Boxcar Willie
Boxcar Willie was a unique figure in country music, both as a self-made myth and as an artist who, after years of marginal dabbling at the genre’s fringes, transformed himself into an international sensation. With his rumpled bib-and-tucker overalls, scraggly beard and the ability to vocally deliver a piercing, pitch-perfect train whistle effect, the singer-guitarist represented an appealing host of bygone socio-cultural touchstones—steam locomotives, carefree tramps, old-time hillbilly music—and ultimately sold multi-millions of albums in the United States, Canada and Great Britain. A resolute traditionalist who presented himself as the romanticized archetype of the freight-hopping hobo, Boxcar Willie’s shrewd exploitation of American iconography... Read More
- City Of Origin:
- Sterret, Texas, United States
- Genre:
- Country, Traditional Country
- Birthdate:
- 09/01/1931
- Death date:
- 04/12/1999
