Jimmy Driftwood

Jimmy Driftwood
Driftwood posing with his unusual guitar
Background information
Birth name	James Corbitt Morris
Also known as	Jimmy Driftwood
Born	(1907-06-20)June 20, 1907 Timbo, Arkansas
Died	July 12, 1998(1998-07-12) (aged 91) Fayetteville, Arkansas
Genres	Folk Country Pop Country and Western
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, instructor, environmentalist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddle, dulcimer, mouth bow
Years active	1925–1975
Labels	RCA, Rounder, Monument

James Corbitt Morris (June 20, 1907 – July 12, 1998), known professionally as Jimmy Driftwood or Jimmie Driftwood, was an American folk music songwriter and musician, most famous for his songs "The Battle of New Orleans" and "Tennessee Stud". Driftwood wrote more than 6,000 folk songs, of which more than 300 were recorded by various musicians.

Driftwood was born in Timbo, Arkansas, on June 20, 1907. His father was folk singer Neil Morris. Driftwood learned to play the guitar at a young age on his grandfather's homemade instrument. Driftwood used that unique guitar throughout his career and noted that its neck was made from a fence rail, its sides from an old ox yoke, and the head and bottom from the headboard of his grandmother's bed. This homemade instrument produced a pleasant, distinctive, resonant sound.

Driftwood attended John Brown College in northwest Arkansas and later received a degree in education from Arkansas State Teacher's College. He started writing songs during his teaching career to teach his students history in an entertaining manner.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Driftwood left Arkansas, eventually hitchhiking through the southwestern United States. In Arizona he entered, and won, a local song contest.

In 1936, Driftwood married Cleda Johnson, who was one of his former students, and returned to Arkansas to raise a family and resume his teaching career. During this period of his life Driftwood wrote hundreds of songs but did not pursue a musical career seriously.

He wrote his later famous "Battle of New Orleans" in 1936, to help a high school class he was teaching become interested in the event.

In the 1950s, he changed his name to Jimmy Driftwood, both publicly and legally.

In 1957, a Nashville, Tennessee song publisher learned of Driftwood, auditioned him, and signed him to his first record deal. Driftwood recalled playing some 100 of his songs in one day, of which 20 were chosen to be recorded. Driftwood's first album, Newly Discovered Early American Folk Songs, received good reviews but did not sell particularly well.