The #1 hit written to help kids tell the Revolutionary War from the War of 1812

Jimmy Driftwood’s Journey from Classroom to Carnegie Hall

Jimmy Driftwood wrote “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1936 to teach his Arkansas students about the War of 1812. For 23 years, the song sat quiet in the Ozarks.

Then in 1959, Johnny Horton cut a clean version that shot to #1 on both pop and country charts. Suddenly, the rural schoolteacher was playing Carnegie Hall and joining the Grand Ole Opry.

Yet fame didn’t keep him. By 1962, Driftwood went back home to build something bigger – turning tiny Mountain View into a folk music hub.

The Ozark Folk Center he helped create still stands today, where his homemade music and mountain legacy live on.

A Fence Rail Guitar Started Jimmy Driftwood’s Musical Journey

Jimmy Driftwood (born James Morris) came into the world in 1907 near Mountain View, Arkansas.

His first guitar wasn’t store-bought but made by his grandpa using a fence rail, an ox yoke, and his grandma’s bedboard. This homemade instrument kicked off Jimmy’s love for music.

He grew up hearing Ozark folk songs and stories passed down through mountain families. These local sounds and tales shaped how he made music and told stories from early on.

Teaching Kids By Day, Writing Songs By Night

Jimmy passed his teaching test at just 16 and started working in small one-room schoolhouses across the Ozark Mountains.

While teaching full-time, he took college classes when he could, finally getting his degree in 1949. He worked his way up to become principal of Snowball School, where kids loved his creative teaching style.

Throughout his teaching years, Jimmy kept writing songs, often using them to make history and other subjects more fun for his country students.

History Lesson Turned Hit Song Sat Dormant For 23 Years

Jimmy wrote “The Battle of New Orleans” in 1936 to help his students tell the difference between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

He matched his catchy words with “Eighth of January,” an old fiddle tune his grandpa played that marked the date of the actual battle.

The song worked great in his classroom, but nobody outside his small Arkansas school knew about it. For over twenty years, this future hit stayed hidden in the Ozark Mountains.

RCA Records Gave The Schoolteacher A Shot

Jimmy got his big break in 1957 when he went to Nashville to try out for RCA Records. He played 100 of his own songs in one day for the record folks.

They liked what they heard and picked 20 songs to record, including “The Battle of New Orleans. ” His first album came out in 1958 but didn’t sell much.

Words like “hell” and “damn” kept the song off radio, limiting who could hear it. Jimmy had talent, but radio rules held back his success.

Johnny Horton Turned A Teacher’s Song Into Gold

Country singer Johnny Horton heard Jimmy on late-night radio and liked “The Battle of New Orleans. ” In January 1959, Horton recorded a cleaned-up version that swapped out words that couldn’t play on radio.

The song took off fast, climbing to number one on both country and pop charts.

It stayed at the top spot for ten weeks on country charts and six weeks on pop charts, bringing Jimmy’s classroom creation to millions of Americans who never heard of the Arkansas teacher.

Carnegie Hall Welcomed The Ozark Schoolteacher

The year 1959 changed Jimmy from unknown teacher to music star. He had six songs playing on the charts at the same time.

His song won the Grammy for Song of the Year, beating many big-name artists.

Jimmy played at Carnegie Hall in New York City and even performed for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev during his United Nations visit.

The rural teacher from the Ozarks found himself mixing with world leaders and music big shots.

The Grand Ole Opry Called Jimmy To Nashville

Country music folks welcomed Jimmy when he became a starring member of the Grand Ole Opry on March 31, 1962. This honor put him among the top performers in country music.

The Opry job meant regular shows on the famous stage and national radio broadcasts. Despite reaching the top of country music success and having chances to stay famous, Jimmy felt pulled toward home.

He made the surprising choice to return to Timbo, Arkansas, picking his mountain roots over continued fame.

Folk Musicians Found A Home In The Rackensack Society

Back in Arkansas, Jimmy helped start the Rackensack Folklore Society in 1963, creating a group focused on saving traditional Ozark music.

The society brought folk musicians from all over the region together for jam sessions and shows. These gatherings kept old songs alive and let younger musicians learn from old-timers.

The Rackensack Society became a place where musicians shared tunes that might otherwise have been forgotten. Jimmy wanted not just to save music but to build community around these traditions.

Mountain View Hosted 15,000 Visitors For Folk Music

Jimmy started the Arkansas Folk Festival in April 1963, bringing traditional music to more people. The first festival drew 15,000 people to Mountain View, a tiny town with fewer than 1,000 locals.

Visitors filled the small mountain community to hear real folk music and experience Ozark culture. The festival had fiddle contests, banjo picking, folk dancing, and traditional crafts.

This yearly celebration continues today, bringing tourists and music lovers to the small Arkansas town Jimmy made famous.

Federal Money Built A Permanent Home For Folk Traditions

Jimmy used his fame and connections to get funding for a permanent folk center. He talked Congressman Wilbur Mills into supporting the project, resulting in over $2.1 million in federal money. The Ozark Folk Center opened in 1973 as a state park focused on saving and sharing Ozark cultural heritage.

The center had performance spaces, craft demonstrations, and programs about traditional music and mountain life.

Jimmy saw the center as a way to make sure the music and traditions he loved would last for future generations.

The Legacy Lives On At Jimmy Driftwood Barn

Jimmy built his own music venue in 1976 after leaving his position as music director at the Folk Center. The Jimmy Driftwood Barn became a gathering place for traditional musicians and fans of authentic folk music.

He continued performing and teaching until late in life, sharing his vast knowledge of Ozark culture.

When Jimmy died on July 12, 1998, at age 91, he left behind Mountain View as the recognized Folk Music Capital of the World.

Today, visitors can still experience the musical traditions Jimmy saved by visiting the Ozark Folk Center, attending the Folk Festival, or catching a show at the venues he established.

Visiting Mountain View, Arkansas

You can experience Jimmy Driftwood’s folk music legacy at 19775 AR-5 in Mountain View, where performances happen Friday and Sunday nights from 7-9 PM for donations only.

The town became the Folk Music Capital of the World thanks to Driftwood’s work creating the Ozark Folk Center nearby.

Head to Washington Street Park for free evening folk music gatherings, or visit during April’s Arkansas Folk Festival celebrating Driftwood’s impact on preserving Ozark traditions.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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