in a David L. Wolper ABC production of The Story of a Folksinger (1963). He appeared on Hootenanny, hosted by Jack Linkletter, during this period. In 1965, he was in an episode of Bonanza where he sang duets with Pernell Roberts. In 1966, he made his film debut in the film Smoky playing the role of Fred Denton, the evil brother of the character played by actor Fess Parker. He became well known in the 1970s and 1980s through his film roles, including The Black Stallion (1979), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), and Gremlins (1984). His television appearances included WKRP In Cincinnati (1979) and Diff'rent Strokes (1984, 1985). In 1980, he sang the theme song to the short-lived series Flo, and he appeared in the episode "You Gotta Have Hoyt". Axton sang the jingle "The Ballad of Big Mac", touting McDonald's Big Mac onscreen in a 1969 commercial he filmed for the hamburger franchise, as well as "Head For the Mountains" in voice-overs for Busch Beer in the 1980s. He appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial in 1985, and in a TV spot for FTD Florists with Merlin Olsen in 1989. Axton's most lasting contributions were songs made famous by others: "Joy to the World" (Three Dog Night) and "Never Been to Spain" (Three Dog Night, Elvis Presley); "Greenback Dollar" (the Kingston Trio); "The Pusher" and "Snowblind Friend" (Steppenwolf); "No No Song" (Ringo Starr); and an array of other songs covered by singers such as Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie, John Denver, Nina Simone, Waylon Jennings, Martha Reeves, Jonathan Edwards, Glen Campbell, and Anne Murray. Axton sang duets with Linda Ronstadt on the songs "Lion in the Winter" and "When the Morning Comes" (a top-40 country hit), and with Tanya Tucker on "You Taught Me How To Cry." His composition "Joy to the World", as performed by Three Dog Night, was number one on the charts for six straight weeks in 1971, making it the top hit of the year. He named his record label Jeremiah after the bullfrog mentioned in the song. Personal life and death Axton was married four times; the first three ended in divorce. He had five children. Axton struggled with cocaine addiction, and several of his songs, including "The Pusher", "Snowblind Friend", and "No No Song", partly reflect his negative drug experiences. He was a proponent of medical marijuana use for many years until his wife