Condolences To Family And Friends Of Singer Billy Joe Royal

ALL ACCESS extends sympathies to friends and family of Country and Pop artist BILLY JOE ROYAL, who passed away YESTERDAY (10/6) at his home in NORTH CAROLINA.  He was 73.

ROYAL first gained notoriety in 1965 with “Down In The Boondocks,” a top 10 Pop hit. Follow up hits included “I Knew You When” and “Cherry Hill Park,” the latter of which was his last Pop success in 1969.

Country fans probably remember ROYAL best from his late 1985 single, “Burned Like A Rocket,” which shot up the charts and had landed in the top 10 by JANUARY of 1986. But late in that month, the SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER exploded shortly after liftoff, killing the entire crew. Sensitivity over the title of the record forced radio to back off airplay, and the song quietly went away. ROYAL was back in 1989, covering the 1966 classic “Tell It Like It Is,” which reached #2 on the Country charts.

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