Packy Axton
Encyclopedia
Charles "Packy" Axton was an American
rhythm and blues
tenor saxophone
player and bandleader, who was a member of The Mar-Keys
and later The Packers
.
He was born in Memphis, Tennessee
, the son of Everett and Estelle Axton
. Estelle Axton and her brother Jim Stewart
were the founders of Stax Records
. By 1959, Packy Axton had become a member of The Royal Spades, a group formed by Steve Cropper
, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Charlie Freeman and Terry Johnson, which expanded to include a horn section
comprising Axton, Don Nix
and Wayne Jackson
. In 1961, they renamed themselves The Mar-Keys, and had a major hit (# 3 on the Billboard
Hot 100, # 2 on the R&B chart) with "Last Night". In fact, only Axton and Jackson from the band appeared on the record which was mostly performed by session musicians. After Cropper left the band in 1961, soon followed by Dunn, Axton became the effective leader of the Mar-Keys, and also worked as a session musician at Stax. He left in 1965 to live in Los Angeles
, reportedly after a series of disagreements with Jim Stewart.
Later in 1965, the Stax Revue performed in Los Angeles, and radio disc jockey
Magnificent Montague
persuaded Axton to record there with Cropper, Booker T. Jones
and Al Jackson, of Booker T. & the M.G.'s
. They recorded an instrumental track together, "Hole In The Wall", which Montague then released as by The Packers; it reached # 43 on the pop chart and # 5 on the R&B chart. Axton then formed a pick-up group to promote the record, later returning to Memphis. There, he recorded several singles credited to The Pac-Keys, which mostly featured members of The Bar-Kays. After 1967, he ran the Satellite Record Shop in Memphis, occasionally performing with musicians such as Charlie Rich
.
Axton died in January 1974 at the age of 32, according to one source due to cirrhosis of the liver, and according to another source of a heart attack.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
tenor saxophone
Tenor saxophone
The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
player and bandleader, who was a member of The Mar-Keys
The Mar-Keys
The Mar-Keys, formed in 1958, were an American studio session band for the Stax label from Memphis, Tennessee, in the 1960s. As the first house band for the label, their backing music formed the foundation for the early 1960s Stax sound.-Career:...
and later The Packers
The Packers
The Packers were an American soul group formed by tenor saxophonist Charles "Packy" Axton, who was the son of Stax Records part-owner Estelle Axton. Axton was a former member of the Mar-Keys; Leon Haywood was among those who played on the group's records...
.
He was born in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, the son of Everett and Estelle Axton
Estelle Axton
Estelle Axton was the co-founder, with her brother Jim Stewart, of Stax Records.Born in Middleton, Tennessee, Estelle Stewart grew up on a farm...
. Estelle Axton and her brother Jim Stewart
Jim Stewart (music)
Jim Stewart is a former record company executive and producer who co-founded Stax Records.- Biography :Raised on a farm in Middleton, Tennessee, Stewart moved to Memphis in 1948, after graduating from high school. He worked at Sears, at First National Bank, and then was drafted into the United...
were the founders of Stax Records
Stax Records
Stax Records is an American record label, originally based in Memphis, Tennessee.Founded in 1957 as Satellite Records, the name Stax Records was adopted in 1961. The label was a major factor in the creation of the Southern soul and Memphis soul music styles, also releasing gospel, funk, jazz, and...
. By 1959, Packy Axton had become a member of The Royal Spades, a group formed by Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper
Steve Cropper , also known as Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist of the Stax Records house band, Booker T...
, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Charlie Freeman and Terry Johnson, which expanded to include a horn section
Horn section
In music, a horn section can refer to several groups of musicians. It can refer to the musicians in a symphony orchestra who play the horn . In a British-style brass band it refers to the tenor horn players. In popular music, it can also refer to a small group of wind instrumentalists who augment a...
comprising Axton, Don Nix
Don Nix
Don Nix is a songwriter, composer, arranger, musician, and author. Although cited as being "obscure", he is a key figure in several genres of Southern rock and Soul, R&B, and the Blues...
and Wayne Jackson
Wayne Jackson
Wayne Jackson is best known for his tenure as the CEO of the Australian Football League 1996 to 2003.- SANFL :Jackson played 71 games for West Torrens Football Club in the South Australian National Football League from 1965 to 1971 ....
. In 1961, they renamed themselves The Mar-Keys, and had a major hit (# 3 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100, # 2 on the R&B chart) with "Last Night". In fact, only Axton and Jackson from the band appeared on the record which was mostly performed by session musicians. After Cropper left the band in 1961, soon followed by Dunn, Axton became the effective leader of the Mar-Keys, and also worked as a session musician at Stax. He left in 1965 to live in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, reportedly after a series of disagreements with Jim Stewart.
Later in 1965, the Stax Revue performed in Los Angeles, and radio disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Magnificent Montague
Magnificent Montague
Nathaniel "Magnificent" Montague , is an American R&B disc jockey notable not only for the soul music records he helped promote on KGFJ Los Angeles and WWRL New York City, but whose trademark catch-phrase, "Burn, baby! Burn!" became the rallying cry of the 1965 Watts riots.Semi-retired by the...
persuaded Axton to record there with Cropper, Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones
Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...
and Al Jackson, of Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s is an instrumental R&B band that was influential in shaping the sound of southern soul and Memphis soul. Original members of the group were Booker T. Jones , Steve Cropper , Lewie Steinberg , and Al Jackson, Jr....
. They recorded an instrumental track together, "Hole In The Wall", which Montague then released as by The Packers; it reached # 43 on the pop chart and # 5 on the R&B chart. Axton then formed a pick-up group to promote the record, later returning to Memphis. There, he recorded several singles credited to The Pac-Keys, which mostly featured members of The Bar-Kays. After 1967, he ran the Satellite Record Shop in Memphis, occasionally performing with musicians such as Charlie Rich
Charlie Rich
Charles Rich was an American country music singer and musician. A Grammy Award winner, his eclectic-style of music was often hard to classify in a single genre, playing in the rockabilly, jazz, blues, country, and gospel genres.In the latter part of his life, Rich acquired the nickname The Silver...
.
Axton died in January 1974 at the age of 32, according to one source due to cirrhosis of the liver, and according to another source of a heart attack.