Branson - Country-and-western singing star BoxCar Willie, who blended a mellow voice with a rough-hewn hobo persona, died after a long battle with leukaemia on Monday, family members said yesterday. He was aged 67.
With his trademark overalls, floppy hat, beard stubble and guitar, BoxCar Willie sang of life on the road in rural America to become one of the most recognisable figures in country-and-western music starting in the 1970s.
He was born in 1931 as Lecil Martin in the town of Sterrett, Texas, and began singing in his teens before joining the US Air Force and spending 22 years there.