Lyrics | Artists | Billy Joe Royal

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Billy Joe Royal

Country rock

Country music

Soul music

The singer Billy Joe Royal is best known for his 1965 version of the Joe South song 'Down in the Boondocks', a track which had some striking similarities to Gene Pitney's '24 Hours from Tulsa' which had been a hit during the previous year. Royal had originally recorded the song as a demo for his friend South but executives at Columbia Records heard the track and offered Royal a record deal. 'Down in the Boondocks' remains Royal's most successful single having reached number nine in Billboard's Hot 100. By the late 1970s Royal's pop career was in decline although he was still a...