Mae Boren Axton
Mae Boren Axton was an American singer-songwriter. She was known in the music industry as the "Queen Mother of Nashville". She co-wrote the Elvis Presley hit single "Heartbreak Hotel" with Tommy Durden. She worked with Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Tanya Tucker, Johnny Tillotson, and Blake Shelton.
Personal life
Boren was born in Texas to Mark L. and Nannie Boren. The only daughter out of nine children, she was the sister of United States Congressman Lyle Boren. When Boren was two years old the family moved to Oklahoma. She attended East Central State College and the University of Oklahoma, where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism. She obtained a public teaching certificate and taught English and journalism at schools throughout Oklahoma.Boren married John T. Axton, an officer in the US Navy, and they had two sons: folk music singer-songwriter, guitarist, film and television actor Hoyt Axton and John, who became an attorney. The family lived in Comanche, Oklahoma during the children's pre-teen years. In 1949, Axton was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida and the family moved there. Boren taught English at Dupont High School, Paxon High School and Ribault High School in Jacksonville, Florida.
Music career
By the early to mid-1950s, Mae had developed a number of connections in the music industry. The best-known of these was music executive, song publisher, and songwriter Fred Rose. She also became a songwriting partner with Jacksonville musicians Tommy Durden and Glenn Reeves. During this time, Boren also worked as a radio announcer and music promoter.Boren is credited with writing approximately 200 songs. Artists who recorded her early compositions include Perry Como and Ernest Tubb. She assisted in managing the music and acting career of her son Hoyt Axton throughout the 1970s and '80s. In 1983, Mae discovered a young Tiffany Darwish singing country songs at the Palomino Club in Los Angeles. Mae brought the singer to Nashville, and soon afterwards Tiffany would set a record for the youngest female artist to top the Billboard charts with a debut album. Boren was also instrumental in getting Blake Shelton started in Nashville music industry in the early 1990s. Since 1998, The Academy of Country Music has presented the Mae Boren Axton Service Award to "an outstanding country music artist, duo/group or industry leader in recognition of years of dedication and service to the Academy of Country Music." Recipients include Paul Moore, Barry Adelman, Bob Kingsley, Reba McEntire and Keith Urban.