Boxcar Willie
| Boxcar Willie | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Lecil Travis Martin |
| Also known as | Boxcar Willie |
| Born |
September 1, 1931 Ellis County, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 12, 1999 (aged 67) Branson, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, train whistle |
| Website | www.boxcarwillie.com |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air Force
|
| Years of service | 1949–1976 |
| Rank | Master sergeant E7 |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Lecil Travis Martin (September 1, 1931 – April 12, 1999), whose stage name was Boxcar Willie, was an American country music singer-songwriter and air force personnel sergeant, who sang in the "old-time hobo" music style, complete with dirty face, overalls, and a floppy hat. "Boxcar Willie" was originally a character in a ballad he wrote, but he later adopted it as his own stage name.
Martin was born in Sterrett, Texas in 1931. He joined the United States Air Force in 1949, and served as a flight engineer for the B-29 Super Fortress during the Korean War in the early 1950s. In Lincoln, Nebraska, Martin was once sitting at a railroad crossing and a fellow that closely resembled his chief boom operator, Willie Wilson, passed by sitting in a boxcar. He said, "There goes Willie." He pulled over and wrote a song entitled "Boxcar Willie". It eventually stuck and became Martin's nickname. There is no relation to the fictitious character, bearing the same name, as featured in the CJCLS commercial that aired ~1985. In 1962, Martin met his future wife, Lloene, in Boise, Idaho. They would later have four children.
In San Jose, California, Martin attended a talent show as "Boxcar Willie" and performed under the nickname for the first time. He won first place, a $150 prize and a nickname that he would forever go by. That was his part-time vocation, however; he was still in the Air Force and had been flying daily missions. He later became a Flight Engineer on Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter aircraft in the 136th ARW in the Texas Air National Guard, including air refueling flights around the USA and overseas in Germany.
In 1976, Martin left the Air Force and became a full-time performer. One of his first national appearances was a win on Chuck Barris' The Gong Show. He entered American mainstream pop culture consciousness due to a series of television commercials for record compilations of artists who were obscure in the United States, yet had large international followings, such as Slim Whitman and Gheorghe Zamfir. He went on to become a star in country music. In 1981, Martin achieved a professional landmark by being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry as its 60th member. His was more than a US success too, with his 1980 album King Of The Road giving him his greatest chart success by reaching #5 in the UK pop charts [1]. Traveling around the world with his band, was his steadfast and trusty steel guitar player Chubby Howard, radio show host and musician for many years.
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