Jimmy Driftwood Remembered
©Bert Gildart: Though now deceased, the man pictured here was once famous as a musician, though he began his career in a different field. The image was in my files and was included about 25 years ago in a story I wrote about Mountain View, Arkansas.
Any idea who the man might be?
The man began his career in education, where he served as a teacher and a principal. During that time, he wrote hundreds of songs to help his students learn about history. He wrote a story about a battle that occurred in New Orleans. He wrote a story about wandering the Southland on his Tennessee Stud.
Ultimately, a friend encouraged him to take his songs to Nashville, and I love the way the man told his story. “I left over 50 songs,” said this very modest man, “with one of the top producers. They told me to return in a few days for an evaluation.”
Several days later the man returned and as he told the story to me he bowed his head slightly, duplicating, I suspect, a moment from the past.
“Did you like any of my songs?” he asked the producer?”
The producer responded. “We’ll take every single one of them.”
The man’s name, of course, was Jimmy Driftwood, and in his life so many of his songs were recorded by top performers of the day. Eddie Arnold recorded Tennessee Stud, and John Horton performed his “Battle of New Orleans.” Driftwood also released an album that included his songs “Billy Yank and Johnny Reb.”
During the next few years, Driftwood, performed at Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and at major folk festivals. On March 31, 1962, Driftwood was elevated from a regular guest to starring member of the Grand Ole Opry. He also returned to the educational profession in 1962, teaching folklore at the University of Southern California in Idyllwild. He was also an advisor to National Geographic on Ozark Folk Ways.
I must have met the man about 1985 and at the time I was a Contributing Editor for magazines produced by the Affinity Group, to include Trailer Life and Motorhome. Though I offered to take Driftwood to lunch, he insisted that he and his wife pay. He was one of the kindest people I have met, and I rank my time with him as one of my most memorable experiences. To think a man of his talent would spend the day with me!
Driftwood died in 1998, but I suspect that in his life he made lots of people happy.
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THIS TIME LAST YEAR:
4th ed. Autographed by the Authors
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