Singer/songwriter Hoyt Axton, who penned hits for a range of acts
including '60s hard-rockers Steppenwolf ("The Pusher") and pop-rock
group Three Dog Night ("Joy to the World"), died Tuesday (Oct. 26)
at 61, the
Associated Press reported. The sometime actor reportedly
suffered a heart attack during surgery two weeks after suffering a severe
heart attack; he had never fully recovered from a 1996 stroke. Known for
a lighthearted style, Axton's stinging indictment of drug culture in
Steppenwolf's 1967 song "The Pusher" and their 1971 single "Snow Blind
Friend" were an anomaly in the drug-friendly youth environment of the
time. Axton also wrote songs for ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr,
Elvis Presley, folk singer Joan Baez, late country star
John Denver and singer Linda Ronstadt. Axton appeared in a
number of films, including "Gremlins" and "The Black Stallion."
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