Mae Axton; Co-Wrote Elvis Presley Hit “Heartbreak Hotel”

Mae Boren Axton, 82, co-writer of Elvis Presley’s first hit, “Heartbreak Hotel.” The mother of country-western singer and songwriter Hoyt Axton, she occasionally performed with him and brought what a Times critic called “vigor and energy” to their duets. The mother’s songs were recorded by country stars such as Patsy Cline, Faron Young, Conway Twitty and Hank Snow. She was also known for mentoring struggling songwriters and musicians, helping to find them a record or publishing deal. Among those she boosted were Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Mel Tillis. A journalism graduate of Oklahoma University, Mae Axton broke into country music as a freelance journalist. She began writing songs after comedienne Minnie Pearl started introducing her as a songwriter. Her biggest hit was “Heartbreak Hotel,” which was Presley’s first single for RCA Records. It held the No. 1 spot in Billboard magazine for eight weeks. On Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.