Friday Night Videos

Deanna Hoak's challenge to post songs that make one smile got me to thinking about the obscure, random music I've loved over the years. And I came to the realization that there simply isn't enough Hoyt Axton in the world. Unless you grew up on country music in the 70s/80s, you probably only know Axton from his role in the original Gremlins movie, of maybe his classic guest appearance on WKRP in Cincinnati. But Axton was, before his untimely death, a brilliantly quirky songwriter in the Roger Miller school of verse. Unlike the great Miller, however, Axton always seemed to have a hardscrabble earthiness to his work, even when his tongue was planted firmly in cheek. One of my faves is "Della and the Dealer," as funny and sly and menacing as a song as any right to be. I wish to heaven I could write fiction like Axton wrote songs...



Previously on Friday Night Videos... LL Cool J.

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