Born Lecil Martin in Sterrett, TX on September 1, 1931, he grew up around freight trains. His father worked as a railroad man, and would play the fiddle for his family on the front porch at the end of the day. Boxcar would run to the door as freight trains passed, and at a young age he began imitating the train whistle.

By the age of 16, he was performing on a Dallas radio show regularly. He then joined the Air Force, where he stayed for 22 years before retiring, and returning once more to performing.

It wasn't until 1976 that he developed the hobo image and familiar train whistle call, that became his trademark. One day while stopped in traffic, he saw a hobo sitting on a boxcar of a passing freight train in Lincoln, Nebraska. The man looked like an old friend of his, Willie Wilson. He said "There's Willie in a boxcar," and that's where the name came from.

In 1981, he was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry, becoming the 60th member. Along with his singing, he also appeared in the movie "Sweet Dreams," about the life of Patsy Cline, and in a TV movie called Country Gold with Loni Anderson.

In 1987 he bought a theater in Branson, MO. By 1990 he also opened up The Boxcar Willie Railroad & Airplane Museum next door to the theater.

He had been performing to sold out crowds performing six shows a week for nine months a year until his health began to fail in 1996, when he was first diagnosed with leukemia. He fought back, undergoing treatment and the cancer went into remission, but it come back again last year, and he had to cancel all his 1999 dates at his theater in Branson.

While he never had a hit record, he had 15 gold albums and four platinum. He also was an author, penning "My Life Story."

Boxcar made his last Opry appearances on January 8th and 9th of this year. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sisters. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 17th.