Lecil T. Martin

(1931-1999) lived in Lincoln. Military careerman, disc jockey, singer, songwriter, known as "Boxcar Willie," he gained renown in country music, reportedly composing several hundred original songs, including classics such as "Wabash Cannonball" and "Wreck Of The Old 97"; recorded duets with diverse artists, including Roy Acuff, Willie Nelson, and Hank Williams Jr., and was credited with 15 gold and four platinum albums; was among the celebrities who developed the town of Branson, Missouri as an entertainment center for older people. Consult People Weekly, April 19, 1982, pp. 89-90 and The Encyclopedia of Popular Music, 3rd ed, Vol 1 (MUZE UK Ltd, 1998) 692 and Lincoln Journal Star, Ground Zero Supplement, April 16, 1999, p. 16 and obituaries in New York Times, April 14, 1999, p. A-27 and Newsmakers 1999 (Gale, 2000) 570-571.

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