Boxcar Willie | |
|---|---|
 Martin in Boxcar Willie garb | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lecil Travis Martin |
| Also known as | Boxcar Willie |
| Born | September 1, 1931 Ovilla, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | April 12, 1999 (aged 67) Branson, Missouri, U.S. |
| Genres | Country, gospel |
| Occupation | Singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, train whistle |
| Website | www.boxcarwillie.com |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1949–1976 |
| Rank | Master sergeant E7[1] |
| 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, who sang in the "old-time hobo" music style, complete with overalls, and a floppy hat.[2] "Boxcar Willie" was originally a character in a ballad he wrote, but he later adopted it as his own stage name.[3] His early musical career was parallel to service as an enlisted flight engineer in the United States Air Force.
- ^ "Martin, Lecil Travis, MSgt". Weservedtogether.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ Malone, Bill C. Country music, U.S.A., University of Texas Press, 2002, p. 277.
- ^ Mazor, Barry. Meeting Jimmie Rodgers: How America's Original Roots Music Hero Changed the Pop Sounds of a Century, Oxford University Press, 2009, p. 291