Billy Joe Royal, Who Sang ‘Down In The Boondocks,’ Dies At Home In His Sleep At 73


The pop and country singer best known for the 1965 tune “Down in the Boondocks,” Billy Joe Royal, has died. He was 73.

Not much is known about Billy Joe’s passing except that he died suddenly. People reported that he died in his sleep at home. His death was confirmed by friends and fellow singers, including Ronnie McDowell, who toured with Royal and had planned another set of shows with him starting in November, Taste of Country added.

Singer BJ Thomas, whom Royal had toured with often in recent years, had the most touching tribute.

“My best friend Billy Joe Royal, died this morning. He was a sweet and talented man. Never a bad word. One of a kind.”

His last show was just last month, September 24, at the Gwinnett County Fair in the singer’s native Georgia, the Tennessean added. He died in his home in Marietta, North Carolina.

In between shows, he’d planned to take a break from touring for a few weeks so that he could spend time with his daughter, who attends NC State University.

The musician was born in 1942 and began his career at only 5-years-old, when he played a New Year’s Eve show featuring Gladys Knight. He was actually paid for the gig, Rolling Stone reported. By 9, he was taking steel guitar lessons and wanted to play in his uncle’s band.

Eventually, he performed on a radio show in Marietta called Georgia Jubilee, where he performed on Friday nights with musicians like Little Jimmy Dickens. There, he also met Joe South, who wrote “Down on the Boondocks,” his most famous song — which peaked at No. 9 — and another hit, “I Knew You When.”

He had another hit in 1969 with “Cherry Hill Park,” which he followed with a series of minor pop hits. Then, he signed with Atlantic in the mid-1980s. About the same time, he became friends with Kenny Rogers, who lived in the same neighborhood. Royal watched his friend, Thomas, score some country hits, and was inspired to try it himself.

And so, his country music career began.

By 1985, he sang his first hit — a tune called “Burned Like a Rocket” that was pulled from radio after the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy the following year. Billy Joe had more hits after that, including “I’ll Pin a Note on Your Pillow,” “Tell It Like It Is,” and “Till I Can’t Take It Anymore.”

Over the years, he toured with Dick Clark’s Caravan of Stars with Herman’s Hermits, Jackie DeShannon, and more. He also played with a backing band that included musicians who would go on to form the band Chicago, and was part of a house band at the Gilley’s-like Bamboo Ranch in Savannah.

His long career earned Billy Joe an induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1988, and he continued to tour throughout the 90s and 00s. He and touring partner Thomas released an album in 2007, called Going by Daydreams. This was followed by his last album, a 2009 gospel record inspired by Sam Cooke, titled His First Gospel Album.

With his voice “still in fine form,” according to the Tennessean, he was on deck to tour again starting in November with McDowell.

Following his sudden death, the music world is left to mourn the prolific and long-standing musician, both friends and family. An ex-wife, Michelle, survives him — they were reportedly still close — as well as a daughter Savannah, and two stepsons named Trey and Joey Riverbank.

Funeral arrangements are still being made.

[Photo Courtesy Rick Diamond / Getty Images]

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