Mojo Nixon, cult hero, cowpunk legend, actor and radio DJ, died on Feb. 7. He was 66.
Nixon, born Neill Kirby McMillan Jr., suffered a cardiac event after performing on the Outlaw Country Cruise, according to a statement from his family.
"How you live is how you should die," the statement read. "Mojo Nixon was full-tilt, wide-open rock hard, root hog, corner on two wheels + on fire."
"Passing after a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar, taking no prisoners + a good breakfast with bandmates and friends. A cardiac event on the Outlaw Country Cruise is about right... & that's just how he did it," the statement continued. "Mojo has left the building. Since Elvis is everywhere, we know he was waiting for him in the alley out back. Heaven help us all."
Born in North Carolina in 1957, Nixon rose to fame in the early '80s and became known for his outlandish and comedic songs he recorded with collaborator Skid Roper, such as the Elvis Presley ode "Elvis is Everywhere," which became an MTV favorite.
Nixon and Roper's 1989 album Root Hog or Die, was laden with pop culture references to celebrities such as Rick Ashley, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.
Nixon's hit "Don Henley Must Die," featured on his 1989 solo album Otis, perhaps surprisingly found a fan in Henley himself.
In a 2014 interview with the Austin Chronicle, Nixon said that Don Henley joined him onstage with Mojo Nixon and the Toadliquors to perform "Don Henley Must Die" at Austin, Texas club Hole in the Wall.
"I don't know how many people can fit in the front room, 100 at the most, but about 5,000 people have told me they were there," Nixon told the publication.
"I took my guitar off, put it back on, did that like three times, then got on the mic and said, 'Don, do you want to debate? Do you want to fist fight?,'" Nixon continued. "He was shit-faced and he goes, 'I want to sing that song, especially the part about not getting together with Glenn Frey!'"
Despite the lyrics that poked fun at Henley, Nixon says the rock icon seemed to love every minute of it.
"He was beltin' that shit out, screaming like he was Johnny f*ckin' Rotten," Nixon said.
Nixon also appeared in several films such as the Jerry Lee Lewis biopic Great Balls of Fire and 1993's Super Mario Bros.
The documentary The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon was released in 2020.
In recent years, Nixon was a mainstay on SiriusXM hosting his popular "The Loon in the Afternoon" show on the Outlaw Country channel as well as programs on the Nascar Radio channel and Raw Comedy channel.
In tribute to the late legend, Outlaw Country will air Maximum Mojosity, a "best of" special that will air during Nixon's regular 4-8 p.m. ET time slot on Feb. 9. The program will replay on Feb. 10 from 2-6 p.m.ET and Feb. 11 from 6-10 p.m. ET. On Sunday, Feb. 11, from 6-10 p.m. ET, listeners can tune into Mojo Nixon's Music City Mayhem from Robert's Western World in downtown Nashville, featuring Jessi Colter, Chuck Mead, Logan Ledger, Brennen Leigh and more.
