Born 112 Years Ago in Texas, the “Queen Mother of Nashville” Who Helped Launch Blake Shelton’s Career and Wrote Elvis Presley’s First No. 1

September 14, 2026, 11:13am

On this day (August 14) in 1914, Mae Boren Axton was born in Bardwell, Texas. She was the mother of Hoyt Axton and, more importantly, one of the largely unsung heroes of country and early rock and roll. For instance, she co-wrote “Heartbreak Hotel,” Elvis Presley’s first No. 1. She also introduced Presley to Colonel Tom Parker, his longtime manager. She also worked in public relations, where she helped launch the careers of several artists, including Willie Nelson and Blake Shelton. The magic she worked behind the scenes earned her the nickname “Queen Mother of Nashville.”

Axton was born Mae Boren in Texas. When she was still a child, her family moved to Oklahoma. Later, she attended East Central University and the University of Oklahoma. There, she earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a teaching certificate. After marrying John Axton, they moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where she became an English teacher.

Videos by American Songwriter

According to Travel OK, Axton did more than teach while in Florida. She also began writing songs with Glen Reeves and Tommy Durden. She also became Hank Snow’s publicist. She also became a music promoter, which deepened her connection to the music industry. During this time, she formed working relationships with Colonel Tom Parker, Fred Rose, and Stephen Sholes, head of RCA Nashville.

Mae Boren Axton Made Things Happen

One of the most important things that Mae Boren Axton did during her career was to introduce Elvis Presley to Colonel Tom Parker. He became the young singer’s manager and helped him rise to fame, book several films, and become the King of Rock & Roll. That’s not all she did for Presley, though.

She and Tommy Durden co-wrote “Heartbreak Hotel.” He reportedly read a news story about a man who died by suicide. He left a note behind that read “I walk a lonely street.” The line stuck with Durden and inspired him to write a song. That’s where Axton came in. “Tommy, everyone in the world has someone who cares, regardless of how good or bad, rich or poor, how high or low their status in life. So, when that somebody or somebodies read or heat about this, they’ll be brokenhearted,” she told him. “Let’s put a heartbreak hotel at the end of lonely street.” Less than a half hour later, they had finished the song.

Presley released “Heartbreak Hotel” as a single in 1956. It was his first No. 1 on the Hot 100 and second country chart-topper. Axton gave him co-writing credit on the song so he could make extra money from the royalties.

Axton Brought Blake Shelton and Willie Nelson to Nashville

While Mae Boren Axton was working as Hank Snow’s publicist, she visited Willie Nelson. “I told her that I was a writer also, and I asked her if she would listen to some of my songs. She said sure, so I played her a tape that I had made. It had maybe 10 or 12 songs that I had written,” Nelson recalled. “She listened to every one and kept saying how good she thought they were. When it was all over, she said, ‘I think you ought to go to Nashville or somewhere where you can get these songs heard. It meant a lot to me to have someone with her reputation and a writer as great as she was to tell me that my songs were good.”

Decades later, she convinced Blake Shelton to move to Nashville. Shelton was 17 when Axton returned to their shared hometown of Ada, Oklahoma. “They brought her back to Ada to honor her with some award they were gonna give her, and I got to meet her. I was part of the entertainment for the award that night,” Shelton recalled. After the event, he was able to sit and chat with her for a while. During their conversation, she told him he needed to go to Nashville. “Man, hearing somebody who was somebody telling me I need to move to Nashville, I man, that’s all it took,’ Shelton said.

Featured Image by Paul Natkin/Getty Images