Who was Mojo Nixon? All about the Elvis is Everywhere rockstar as he dies aged 66

American musician and actor, Mojo Nixon passed away Wednesday at 66. His family cited a ‘cardiac event’ as the cause of his death. Matt Eskey, the director of the late actor’s documentary film, The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon said Mojo passed away in her sleep on Outlaw Country Cruise. He performed on the cruise just the night before.

The film’s official website also released a statement on his death. The message noted Mr. Mojo had died:

“After a blazing show, a raging night, closing the bar, taking no prisoners.”

Mojo, who was born Neill Kirby McMillan Jr., gained recognition as an alternative artist after his 1987 hit “Elvis Is Everywhere”, where he collaborated with Skid Roper.

The singer is survived by his wife, two sons, granddaughter, and his two siblings.

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Mojo Nixon's life and works

Mojo Nixon was born in North Carolina and was raised in Virginia. He attended school in Ohio. He began his musical journey as a member of a Denver-based punk band called Zebra 123. In an interview for his documentary, Mojo said:

“A lot of people had the same idea simultaneously.”

He said he wanted to take the roots of a music piece and infuse the energy and excitement of punk rock in it. Referring to the band’s music, Mojo noted:

“It was Jerry Lee Lewis on more speed. Not just speed, but more speed. A lot of things sounded like the Clash, but even faster and stupider.”

After Zebra 123 disbanded, Mojo moved to San Diego. He soon teamed up with the multi-instrumentalist Richard Banke aka Skid Roper. They won a Battle of Bands contest together and also won the honor of the best new band in San Diego. As a reward, the duo got three hours to spend at Soundtrax Studio. Mojo recalled:

“They thought we’d buy three more. But oh no, we cut three songs, overdubbed and mixed them and we were done in three hours.”

Skid and Mojo soon signed a contract with Enigma Records, an LA-based indie label that released “Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper”, their 1985 debut. Mojo’s breakthrough came in 1987, with the album “Bo-Day-Shush!!!”, which featured the iconic track “Elvis Is Everywhere”. The video performance of the song earned him an opportunity to perform on The Arsenio Hall Show.

After the two of them parted ways, Mojo went on to release music as a solo artist. He collaborated with other artists later on, including Jello Biafra, and the Toadliquors.

Mojo Nixon’s acting career began in 1989, with Jerry Lee Lewis’ biopic, “Great Balls of Fire”. He played the drummer James Van Eaton in the movie. Mojo also appeared in the live-action movie “Super Mario Bros” (1993).

Mojo Nixon eventually veered into radio shows and local gigs before landing a job in the broadcasting company SiriusXM.