Jimmie Driftwood Page in Fuller Up, Dead Mucian Directory

Jimmie Driftwood Page

Fuller Up, The Dead Musician Directory Jimmie Driftwood Jimmie Driftwood July 12, 1998 Age 91

Heart Attack
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OBITUARY

                  Folk singer-songwriter Jimmy Driftwood dies at 91
                  July 12, 1998

                  FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (AP) -- Folk
                  singer-songwriter Jimmy Driftwood, whose
                  penning of "The Battle of New Orleans"
                  vaulted him to fame 40 years ago, died
                  Sunday. He was 91.
                  Driftwood had a stroke several weeks ago
                  and had been recuperating at a hospital
                  when he suffered a heart attack that proved
                  fatal.
                  Born James Corbett Morris, he changed his
                  name to Jimmy Driftwood and went on to write
                  some 6,000 folk songs, 300 of which were published or recorded.
                  He taught school before his music career and said he wrote "The Battle of
                  New Orleans" as part of a history lesson for his students. Driftwood
                  recorded the song in 1957, but a 1960 version by the late Johnny Horton
                  made the tune a huge hit.
                  He won Grammy awards for "The Battle of New Orleans," "Wilderness
                  Road," "Songs of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb" and "Tennessee Stud," which
                  was a big hit for Eddy Arnold.
                  Driftwood performed with the Grand Ole Opry at Nashville, Tennessee, and
                  on stages across the United States and Europe, but he spent most of his life
                  at the family farm in Timbo, west of Mountain View in north Arkansas'
                  Ozark Mountains.
                  He came up with the idea for the Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View and
                  helped establish the annual Ozark Folk Festival.
                  Driftwood also helped save the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas from
                  damming in the 1950s and 1960s. The river remains free-flowing and is now
                  the Buffalo National River.
                  He and his wife, Cleda, opened the Driftwood Barn near Mountain View to
                  give him a permanent place to perform on weekends. He never charged
                  admission but did pass the hat to help cover expenses.
                  The barn was deeded to the Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway,
                  now the University of Central Arkansas, with the understanding that the barn
                  would be preserved for students to study the history of folk music.
                  Survivors include his wife of almost 62 years, a brother and two sisters.
                  Three sons preceded him in death.
              Copyright 1998   The Associated Press.

**OBITUARY**
Folk singer-songwriter Jimmy Driftwood dies at 91 July 12, 1998 FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (AP) -- Folk singer-songwriter Jimmy Driftwood, whose penning of "The Battle of New Orleans" vaulted him to fame 40 years ago, died Sunday. He was 91. Driftwood had a stroke several weeks ago and had been recuperating at a hospital when he suffered a heart attack that proved fatal. Born James Corbett Morris, he changed his name to Jimmy Driftwood and went on to write some 6,000 folk songs, 300 of which were published or recorded. He taught school before his music career and said he wrote "The Battle of New Orleans" as part of a history lesson for his students. Driftwood recorded the song in 1957, but a 1960 version by the late Johnny Horton made the tune a huge hit. He won Grammy awards for "The Battle of New Orleans," "Wilderness Road," "Songs of Billy Yank and Johnny Reb" and "Tennessee Stud," which was a big hit for Eddy Arnold. Driftwood performed with the Grand Ole Opry at Nashville, Tennessee, and on stages across the United States and Europe, but he spent most of his life at the family farm in Timbo, west of Mountain View in north Arkansas' Ozark Mountains. He came up with the idea for the Ozark Folk Center at Mountain View and helped establish the annual Ozark Folk Festival. Driftwood also helped save the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas from damming in the 1950s and 1960s. The river remains free-flowing and is now the Buffalo National River. He and his wife, Cleda, opened the Driftwood Barn near Mountain View to give him a permanent place to perform on weekends. He never charged admission but did pass the hat to help cover expenses. The barn was deeded to the Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway, now the University of Central Arkansas, with the understanding that the barn would be preserved for students to study the history of folk music. Survivors include his wife of almost 62 years, a brother and two sisters. Three sons preceded him in death. Copyright 1998 The Associated Press.

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BIOGRAPHY

Jimmie Driftwood
(b. James Morris, 20 June 1907, Mountain View, Arkansas).
His name first came to prominence as a result of the Johnny Horton
recording of Driftwood's song, The Battle Of New Orleans in 1959.
The single made the top of both the USA pop and country charts,
but only the Top 20 in the UK. Lonnie Donegan reached number 2 in
the UK with the song in the same year. Driftwood himself had recorded
a version of the song the previous year for RCA Victor. With a strong
musical heritage Driftwood learned to play guitar, banjo and fiddle while
still young. Picking up old songs from his grandparents, and other
members of his family, he later travelled about collecting and recording
songs. While still performing at folk festivals, Jimmy continued to teach
during the '40s. With the '50s, came the growing folk boom, and he found
himself reaching a wider audience. RCA signed him to record NEWLY
DISCOVERED EARLY AMERICAN FOLK SONGS, which included
the aforementioned Battle Of New Orleans. While the song's popularity
grew, Driftwood was working for the GRAND OLE OPRY, but left in
order to work on a project to establish a cultural centre at his home in
Mountain View. The aim was to preserve the Ozark Mountain peoples’
heritage. Having later joined the Rackensack Folklore Society, he
travelled the USA, talking at universities to pass on the importance of
such a project. The first Arkansas Folk Festival, held in 1963, was
successful and, in 1973, the cultural centre was established. One
performer at such events organized by the Rackensack Folklore
Society was Glenn Ohrlin.

**BIOGRAPHY**
Jimmie Driftwood (b. James Morris, 20 June 1907, Mountain View, Arkansas). His name first came to prominence as a result of the Johnny Horton recording of Driftwood's song, The Battle Of New Orleans in 1959. The single made the top of both the USA pop and country charts, but only the Top 20 in the UK. Lonnie Donegan reached number 2 in the UK with the song in the same year. Driftwood himself had recorded a version of the song the previous year for RCA Victor. With a strong musical heritage Driftwood learned to play guitar, banjo and fiddle while still young. Picking up old songs from his grandparents, and other members of his family, he later travelled about collecting and recording songs. While still performing at folk festivals, Jimmy continued to teach during the '40s. With the '50s, came the growing folk boom, and he found himself reaching a wider audience. RCA signed him to record NEWLY DISCOVERED EARLY AMERICAN FOLK SONGS, which included the aforementioned Battle Of New Orleans. While the song's popularity grew, Driftwood was working for the GRAND OLE OPRY, but left in order to work on a project to establish a cultural centre at his home in Mountain View. The aim was to preserve the Ozark Mountain peoples’ heritage. Having later joined the Rackensack Folklore Society, he travelled the USA, talking at universities to pass on the importance of such a project. The first Arkansas Folk Festival, held in 1963, was successful and, in 1973, the cultural centre was established. One performer at such events organized by the Rackensack Folklore Society was Glenn Ohrlin.