Driftwood, Jimmy

Driftwood, Jimmy
▪ 1999

      American folksinger and songwriter (b. June 20, 1907, Mountain View, Ark.—d. July 12, 1998, Fayetteville, Ark.), wrote more than 6,000 folk songs but was best remembered for his recording "The Battle of New Orleans," which won a Grammy award when Johnny Horton's 1960 version made the song a smash hit. The son of folksinger Neil Morris, Driftwood learned to play guitar on an instrument his grandfather made from a fence rail, an ox yoke, and the headboard of a bed. He performed at regional folk festivals after graduating from Arkansas State Teachers College and while teaching high school. After Driftwood received his second Grammy for "Tennessee Stud," a hit for Eddy Arnold, he accepted an offer to perform with the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn. He garnered additional Grammys for songs and albums, but his lifelong passion was the preservation of folk music and culture. In the early 1950s, under the aegis of RCA Victor, he compiled the album Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs. During the 1950s and '60s he worked successfully to prevent damming of the Buffalo River in northern Arkansas, now known as the Buffalo National River. Driftwood obtained $3.4 million in state funding to create the Ozark Folk Center, near Mountain View, and founded the annual Ozark Folk Festival. With his wife, Cleda, he opened the Driftwood Barn, where he performed free of charge; he passed the hat, however, to help defray expenses. Requesting that the space be used to study folk music, he later deeded it to his alma mater, now the University of Central Arkansas. He performed throughout the U.S. and Europe but remained close to his roots, living on his farm in the Ozark Mountains.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Jimmy Driftwood — James Corbitt Morris (* 20. Juni 1907 in Mountain View, Arkansas; † 12. Juli 1998 in Fayetteville, Arkansas), besser bekannt unter dem Namen Jimmy Driftwood (auch Jimmie Driftwood), war ein US amerikanischer Songwriter und Musiker. Zu seinen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Driftwood (disambiguation) — Driftwood is wood that has been deposited on land by the action of waves. It may also refer to: Films Driftwood (film), a 2006 motion picture directed by Tim Sullivan Allan Dwan James Spader and Anne Brochet In music Driftwood (song), a single by …   Wikipedia

  • Driftwood — ist der Name mehrerer Orte in den Vereinigten Staaten: Driftwood (Arkansas) Driftwood (New York) Driftwood (Ohio) Driftwood (Oklahoma) Driftwood (Pennsylvania) Driftwood (Texas) Driftwood Acres (Florida) Driftwood Hills (Indiana) Driftwood Shores …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Jimmy Driftwood — James Corbitt Morris (20 June 1907 ndash; 12 July 1998) mdash; better known as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood; was a prolific United States folk songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs The Battle of New Orleans and Tennessee Stud …   Wikipedia

  • Jimmy Driftwood — James Morris Corbitt (20 de junio de 1907 12 de julio de 1998), más conocido como Jimmy Driftwood o Jimmie Driftwood, fue un compositor y músico estadounidense de música popular famoso por sus canciones The Battle of New Orleans (La batalla de… …   Wikipedia Español

  • List of songs by Jimmy Webb — The following is a partial chronological listing of recordings and performances of songs written by Jimmy Webb. 1965 * The Contessas, single, This Is Where I Came In (arranged and conducted by Jimmy Webb) * Jimmy Webb, single, I Can t Quit and… …   Wikipedia

  • The Ozark Jubilee — Logo des Ozark Jubilees Ozark Jubilee war die erste, von einem großen US amerikanischen Netz zur Hauptsendezeit übertragene Fernsehshow mit Country Musik. Geschichte Ein lokaler Vorläufer wurde 1953 von Ely E. Siman in Springfield (Missouri) ins… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • 2-я церемония «Грэмми» — Дата проведения 1960 Место проведения Лос Анджелес, Нью Йорк  < 1 я Грэмми 3 я >  2 я церемония …   Википедия

  • Les Humphries Singers — Chartplatzierungen Erklärung der Daten Singles (We ll Fly You to the) Promised Land)   DE 13 12.04.1971 (17 Wo.) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Les Humphries Singers Reunion — Chartplatzierungen Erklärung der Daten Singles (We ll Fly You to the) Promised Land)   DE 13 12.04.1971 (17 Wo.) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”