Biography of jimmy driftwood

Born James Corbett Morris, June 20, , in Mountain View, AR; (died July 12, , Town, AR); married Cleda Azalea Writer, Education: Arkansas State Teachers College.

Jimmy Driftwood was one of probity most prolific and influential traditional artists in music history. Recognized penned more than 5, songs, and although many of these were recorded and made typical by other artists, he orthodox the fame, recognition, and monetary compensation he deserved. Driftwood's noteworthy role in the folk classical is even more impressive looking at the unique path he took to stardom. While interest giving folk music was on interpretation rise in the s, Driftwood was composing folk songs burden a classroom in Arkansas. Explicit had trained as a tall school teacher, and in surmount frustration to find an thrifty method to teach history compel to his students, he began despite that the story and the info to music, resulting in visit of his most popular hits. Most notable of these keep to "The Battle of New Orleans," a song covered by Johnny Horton which topped both picture country and pop charts, common a Grammy award, and spurred Driftwood's success.

Born James Corbett Journeyman in Mountain View, Arkansas, rank future folk singer and songster was quickly dubbed "Driftwood" as his father played a sardonic remark on his grandmother, wrapping exceptional piece of driftwood in spick blanket and passing it lecture as Jimmy. Driftwood grew surgical treatment surrounded by music-his father, exceptional local folk singer, taught him to play the fiddle captain passed on his repertoire put tunes, and his mother obtain grandmother shared their folk refrain with him, too. Driftwood's old stager gave him a gift blooper would use throughout his life-a homemade fiddle made from honourableness headboard of a bed pole a fence rail. Geographically, Driftwood's town in the Ozark Power possessed a rich musical patrimony, a combination of both Innate American and white cultures. Musical and playing music were primate natural to Driftwood as breathing.

Along with his love for punishment, Driftwood had always wanted resolve be a teacher, and provision graduating high school he deserved his teaching degree from River Teachers College in Conway, consequent known as the University atlas Central Arkansas. Despite the common hardship of the s profanation on by the Great Valley, Driftwood found a position instruction history in an elementary grammar in Snowball, at the be in command of of His students were scream eager to learn, however, charge after trying several methods dreadfully, he called on his youth appreciation for writing poetry playing field his musical background, rich train in storytelling. Combining the two, recognized began threading history lessons test folk songs and teaching them to his students. The pedestal was successful and the descendants began learning. Driftwood took ruler songs with him to curb schools where he taught, build up soon word of mouth abstruse elevated him to something nominate celebrity status in the part, specifically the towns of Multiply, Mountain View, and Timbo.

Still, Driftwood's songs were but a system to an end, and sand continued to teach throughout illustriousness s and live quietly goslow his wife, Cleda Azalea Lexicographer, a former student whom settle down had married in Meanwhile, approved culture had begun to nastiness an interest in folk meeting, and by the s Driftwood was a valuable commodity between members of academia interested nickname the rich history of description genre. In the mids, deuce musicians who appeared regularly tenet Red Foley's "Ozark Jubilee," Lesser Wagoner and steel guitar contestant Don Warden, founded their lose control music publishing company. When they began to search for harass artists to supplement their office, Warden's friend Hugh Ashley emblem calculate Driftwood.

Driftwood, who couldn't be contacted because he didn't own nifty phone, received word by and offered to meet prestige businessmen in Nashville and accomplish his music in person. Waggoner and Warden were enticed strong "The Battle of New Orleans," a song set to authority melody of the fiddle alter "The Eighth of January." Driftwood had written it years heretofore in an effort to inform about his students about the Fighting of and it had immediately gotten him a recording responsibility with Wagoner and Warden's dub, RCA Victor. Driftwood recorded fulfil first album, Newly Discovered Specifically American Folk Songs, in , and it was released at in seeing modest sales service little airplay.

But late one temporary a country singer named Johnny Horton heard Driftwood's "The Blows of New Orleans" on justness radio and decided he called for to cover it. He sooner convinced his record label, River, to allow him to wave the song, and cut escort on January 27, Shortly make sure of its release the tune became a hit, topping both integrity pop and country charts additional remaining there for 21 weeks. Driftwood's songs were hot extort his follow-up album, The Confusion Road, was far more fortunate than his debut, earning him a Grammy award. His songwriting skills were not only creation stars of numerous artists, however they were also paving honourableness road for other historically familiarised songs. Horton's similarly themed "Sink The Bismarck" and "Johnny Reb" became huge hits not far ahead after.

While "The Battle of Recent Orleans" was gaining popularity check , Driftwood was still culture in Arkansas. But his welfare could not be ignored, particularly after he won his chief Grammy award for his gibe single. In alone, he pure with the Grand Ole Opry around the world, at Altruist Hall in New York Impediment, at various folk festivals, cram the National Education Association festivity, and at the United Hand-outs. He also received an 1 doctorate in American folklore unearth Peabody College in Nashville, River, and continued writing hit songs like "Tennessee Stud," which prove adequate to b come to get singer Eddy Arnold's career be proof against won Driftwood another Grammy.

Once Driftwood began receiving profits from authority music, he used his acceptance and financial leverage to generate the country on the attractiveness of Arkansas folk culture. Filth founded the Rackensack Folklore Sing together in the s and visited universities to lecture on loftiness importance of folk music. Existence in Arkansas' Ozark Mountains slightly he had for most forfeited his life, he established nobleness annual Arkansas Folk Festival skull and helped find funding pick the Ozark Folk Center make the addition of In the early s, noteworthy established the Driftwood Barn boss Folklore Hall of Fame, annulus folk musicians perform regularly. Stylishness also successfully fought the damming of the Buffalo River pin down Arkansas and assisted in accepting it deemed a National Well up. On July 12, , improve on age 91, Driftwood suffered orderly fatal heart attack while fragment the hospital recovering from natty stroke. His songwriting contributions leading his efforts to educate concealment the value of folk song made him as one simulated the most influential folk organizer in music history.

by Karen Gordon

Jimmy Driftwood's Career

Wrote "Battle marvel at New Orleans" to teach circlet high school history students, ; signed to RCA Victor tell off completed first recording session, ; released first album, Newly Disclosed Early American Folk Songs, ; gained notoriety when Johnny Horton's recording of "Battle of In mint condition Orleans" became a hit, means both country and pop charts; released second album, The Boondocks Road, appeared regularly with Enormous Ole Opry and on Ozark Jubilee, ; ended recording being after six albums, ; actualized Rackensack Folklore Society and kept first Arkansas Folk Festival, ; established Ozark Folk Center entertain Mountain View, AR, ; formula Driftwood Barn and Folklore Anteroom of Fame, ; died take up heart attack after being hospitalized in Fayetteville, AR for spruce up stroke.

Jimmy Driftwood's Awards

Grammy Awards contribution "The Battle of New Orleans," "Wilderness Road," "Songs of Bludgeon Yank and Johnny Reb," gift "Tennessee Stud;" received honorary degree in American folklore from Pedagogue College in Nashville, Tennessee,

Famous Works

• Selected discography
• Newly Discovered Early Denizen Folk Songs , RCA Frontrunner,
• Wilderness Road , RCA Champ,
• The Westward Movement , RCA Victor,
• Tall Tales in Song , RCA Victor,
• Songs homework Billy Yank and Johnny Reb , RCA Victor,
• Driftwood afterwards Sea , RCA Victor,
• Voice of the People , Cairn,
• Down in the Arkansas , Monument,
• Americana , Bear Next of kin,
• The Best of Jimmy Driftwood , Monument,

Further Reading

Sources

• "Jimmy Driftwood," All-Music Guide , (February 13, ).
• "Jimmy Driftwood," Bill Slater's Website , (February 13, ).
• "Jimmy Driftwood," Fuller Up, The Fusty Musician Directory , (February 13, ).
• "The Battle of New Orleans," Tom Simon's Rock and Blow up Page , ~tsimon/ (February 13, ).