Billy Joe Royal (1942 - 2015)
by
by
2 min readBilly Joe Royal, a country singer whose top-40 1960s hits included "Down in the Boondocks," has died, according to multiple news sources. He was 73.
Royal's other '60s hits included "I Knew You When" and "Cherry Hill Park." In the '80s he reached the country charts with "Tell It Like It Is," "Burned Like a Rocket" and "I'll Pin a Note on your Pillow."
Two years ago, Royal had a role in the 2013 film "Billy the Kid."
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Billy Joe Royal, a pop singer who popularized the song "Down in the Boondocks," and crossed over into country music, has died. He was 73 years old.
His agent, Brent Taylor, said the singer died at his home Tuesday in Morehead City, North Carolina.
The Georgia-born singer debuted on Columbia Records with "Down in the Boondocks" in 1965, which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. But he struggled to match his initial success with his subsequent records and starting in the late 1980s, he reinvented himself as a country singer.
He was known for songs like "I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow," ''Tell it Like it is," and "Till I Can't Take it Anymore." He was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1988.
We invite you to share condolences for Billy Joe Royal in our Guest Book.
Copyright © 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
TAGS
