Boxcar Willie was born on September 1, 1931 in Sterrett, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for A Place to Grow (1995), Sweet Dreams (1985) and The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009). He was married to Lloene Sue Johnson, Elsie Veleta Gee and Patsy Jeaniene Marshall. He died on April 12, 1999 in Branson, Missouri, USA.
He was a country singer who performed in the "old-time hobo" sub-genre. His stage persona was a hobo dressed in overalls and an old worn hat and with an unshaven face. In reality, he was an Air Force retiree.
Like certain other performers, he experienced a sudden explosion in his popularity due to a heavily saturated television promotion for a record album of this songs.