Description

Up for auction "Down in the Boondocks" Billy Joe Royal Signed Fan Club Application. ES-6892E Billy Joe Royal (April 3, 1942 – October 6, 2015) was an American country soul singer. His most successful record was " Down in the Boondocks " in 1965. Born in Valdosta, Georgia , to Mary Sue Smith and Clarence Royal, and raised in Marietta, Georgia , Royal performed at the Georgia Jubilee in Atlanta during his teens. He formed his own rock and roll band, and became a local star at the Bamboo Ranch in Savannah in the late 1950s and early 1960s, where his singing style was influenced by African-American performers, including Sam Cooke . Royal was a friend of performer and songwriter Joe South , and recorded what was intended as a demo of South's song " Down in the Boondocks ". The recording was heard at Columbia Records , who offered Royal a singing contract in 1965 and released his version of the song, produced by South. "Down in the Boondocks" remained his best-known song, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 , a and number 38 in the UK. He followed up his initial success with the singles " I Knew You When " (Top 20, 1965) and " Hush " (1967), also written and produced by Joe South. Another South composition, " Yo-Yo ," just missed the top 40 in Canada and charted poorly in the U.S. when Royal released it in 1967, but a later remake by The Osmonds was a much greater success. His 1969 single, " Cherry Hill Park ", peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 . In the 1970s his recording of "Heart's Desire" gained popularity among Northern soul enthusiasts and was regularly played in Northern soul nightclubs. By the late 1970s, Royal had become a regular performer in Las Vegas , and also appeared as an actor in movies and on television. His last hit on the US pop charts was in 1978, when his version of " Under the Boardwalk " became a minor hit. However, he reinvented himself in the 1980s as a mainstream country star, and had his first hit on the country music chart in 1984 with " Burned Like a Rocket ", released on the Atlantic label. His other country hits included " I'll Pin a Note on Your Pillow " (1987), " Tell It Like It Is ", and " Till I Can't Take It Anymore " (both 1989). His successes on the country charts continued until the early 1990s. Royal experienced a second comeback during the 2000s due to regular airplay on " oldies " radio stations. His music was further exposed to younger generations through a movement known as The Beat Army , an online music forum based on Facebook which is operated by author and music producer Paul Collins . Royal continued to tour regularly, performing concerts at casinos, music festivals, and clubs in North America, Japan, and throughout Europe. His set lists included a mixture of songs representing multiple genres from the 1960s onwards. He also played Robert Ally in the indie Western film Billy the Kid (2013), co-starring country singer Cody McCarver . Royal died in his sleep on October 6, 2015 in Morehead City, North Carolina .