Burl Ives
Burl Ives was an influential American folk singer, actor, and storyteller, known for his deep, soothing voice and memorable performances. Born as the eldest of seven children, he initially pursued a career in teaching but ultimately decided to follow his passion for music, traveling the country to sing and gather folk songs. Ives gained prominence in the 1940s, hosting his own radio show, "The Wayfaring Stranger," and became a recognizable figure in the entertainment industry with roles in film and Broadway, notably playing Big Daddy in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Throughout his career, he won an Academy Award and a Grammy, further solidifying his legacy.
Ives is credited with bringing traditional folk music into the mainstream and performed many beloved songs that resonate with audiences of all ages, including "A Little Bitty Tear" and "A Holly Jolly Christmas." His recordings celebrated American culture and heritage, often accompanied by just his guitar, emphasizing the authenticity of folk traditions. In addition to his musical achievements, he is remembered for his role as Sam the Snowman in the classic holiday special "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Ives's contributions to music and film have left a lasting impact on American folk culture.
Subject Terms
Burl Ives
Actor
- Born: June 14, 1909
- Birthplace: Hunt, Illinois
- Died: April 14, 1995
- Place of death: Anacortes, Washington
American folksinger
A distinguished folksinger called America’s favorite balladeer, Ives worked to keep historical folk music a permanent part of American culture, bringing folk music to the pop charts.
The Life
Buele Icle Ivanhow “Burl” Ives (ivz) was one of seven children born to Levi and Cordelia White Ives. His musical talent was noticed by his uncle while Ives was a young boy. After playing football in high school, he attended Eastern Illinois State Teachers College from 1927 to 1930, where he studied history, with the goal of becoming a teacher. Convinced that his music would provide a better direction for his life, he left college and traveled the country, singing his favorite songs and collecting stories and other songs for his performances.
In 1937 Ives moved to New York City to receive formal voice instruction and to break into show business. From 1940 to 1942 he hosted his own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, and popularized folksinging. In 1946 he made his first film appearance, as a singing cowboy, in Smoky. Ives was identified as an entertainer with supposed Communist Party ties in 1950, but he was later removed from the list. His most notable Broadway performance was as Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1955), which ran from 1955 to 1956. He also played the same role in the motion-picture version in 1958. Ives won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Big Country in 1958.
In 1962 he recorded three country hits, “A Little Bitty Tear,” “Call Me Mr. In-Between,” and “Funny Way of Laughin’.” For the last song, he won a Grammy Award for Best Country-Western Recording. All three songs reached the Top 10 on the pop charts.
Ives and his first wife, Helen Peck Ehrlich, had one child, and they divorced in 1971. He married Dorothy Koster Paul later that same year. They had three children. He retired in 1989 and died of mouth cancer in 1995.
The Music
Ives promoted the traditional songs sung on the front porch or in the living room by ordinary people for their own pleasure. He brought authentic folk music into the mainstream of popular music, keeping that part of American heritage alive. His heartfelt music was a celebration of the American people and their way of life. His easy, casual style and his smooth-flowing tunes evoked warm memories. His finely honed, deep folk voice delivered a soothing, moving sound. For most of his songs, Ives was content to accompany himself with a guitar, not relying on other musical support. His songs appealed to children and adults of all ages.
The Wayfaring Stranger.This album, recorded in 1959, set the standard for folk-music albums. The classic folk songs are mostly performed by Ives and his acoustic guitar. The songs are short, simple, and arranged in folk tradition. Using his deep, folksy voice, Ives allows listeners to savor the music, as if he were performing just for them.
Songs from the Big Rock Candy Mountain.This collection, released in 2007, contains more than thirty of Ives’s greatest folk songs that span his career from the late 1930’s to the late 1970’s. The songs are delivered by Ives with his customary comfortable, easy approach, and his joyful voice takes the rough edges off many ragged folk melodies. Songs such as “Big Rock Candy Mountain,” “Blue Tail Fly” (with the Andrews Sisters), “Call Me Mr. In-Between,” and “Lavender Blue” generate fond memories for listeners.
Burl Ives’s Greatest Hits.In this compilation most of the songs are pop versions of the ones that made Ives an American legend. Some of his great renditions include “A Little Bitty Tear,” “Funny Way of Laughin’,” “True Love Goes On and On,” “Pearly Shells,” and “On Top of Old Smoky” performed with the Percy Faith Orchestra. His pleasing tunes are meant to be enjoyed by people of all ages.
Very Best of Burl Ives Christmas.This 1999 album contains fifteen Christmas standards, ranging from Ives’s trademark Christmas song “A Holly Jolly Christmas” to “Silver Bells” and “What Child Is This?” His deep, warm voice and Santa Claus countenance are perfectly suited to the merriment of the season. In some of the carols, Ives is accompanied by backup vocalists and instruments, including strings, harp, bass, and flute, in unison with Ives’s acoustic guitar. The way he playfully delivers the songs, in his sweet voice, cements his place in the genre of Christmas music.
Musical Legacy
Ives recorded more than seventy albums and performed on radio throughout the 1940’s and 1950’s. He was lauded for telling stories, in a grandfatherly croon, through American folk songs. His recordings and anthologies of folk songs kept folk music vital in the American tradition. His Christmas classic “A Holly Jolly Christmas” was a radio staple during the Christmas season. He was the voice of Sam the Snowman on the television special Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964). A long-running holiday special, it featured some of Ives’s most popular Christmas tunes.
Principal Recordings
albums:Burl Ives, 1949; More Folksongs by Burl Ives, 1949; Ballads and Folk Songs, Vol. 1, 1950; Ballads and Folk Songs, Vol. 2, 1950; Ballads, Folk, and Country Songs, 1950; The Lonesome Train: A Musical Legend About Abraham Lincoln, 1950; Christmas Day in the Morning, 1952; Folk Songs Dramatic and Dangerous, 1953; Women: Folk Songs About the Fair, 1954; Burl Ives Sings for Fun, 1956; Down to the Sea in Ships, 1956; In the Quiet of Night, 1956; Men, 1956; Women, 1956; Christmas Eve with Burl Ives, 1957; Australian Folk Songs, 1958; Captain Burl Ives’ Ark, 1958; Songs of Ireland, 1958; Ballads with Guitar, 1959; The Wayfaring Stranger, 1959; It’s Just My Funny Way of Laughin’, 1962; The Versatile Burl Ives, 1962; Scouting Along with Burl Ives, 1963; Chim Chim Cheree and Other Children’s Choices, 1964; Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, 1964; Sings the Great Country Hits, 1968; Songbook, 1973; Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, 1987; Burl Ives Sings, 1995; How Great Thou Art, 2001; Songs I Sang in Sunday School, 2001.
writings of interest:Wayfaring Stranger, 1948.
Bibliography
Ives, Burl. The Burl Ives Sing-Along Song Book: A Treasury of American Folk Songs and Ballads. New York: Franklin Watts, 1963. Ives discusses America’s musical heritage, presenting the background and lyrics to important folk songs and ballads.
Ives, Burl. Wayfaring Stranger. Whitefish, Mont.: Kessinger, 2007. Ives recounts his travels across America in pursuit of success as a singer, and he discusses some of the folk songs and stories that he collected along the way.
Parish, James Robert. Hollywood Songsters: Singers Who Act and Actors Who Sing. London: Routledge, 2003. Contains a biographical sketch of Ives that recounts his success as a singer, actor, and author.