Born in an Ozarks Mountain cabin, Jimmy walked fourteen miles a day to attend high school. He later became a schoolteacher, an RCA Victor recording star, performed at Carnegie Hall, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry. He wrote such notable hits as The Battle of New Orleans, Tennessee Stud, The Wilderness Road, He Had A Long Chain On, Damyankee Lad and dozens more.Here is the story of his family history, his recordings, awards and official appointments. And, at last in one place, the story of the historic Rackensack Folklore Society, Arkansas Folk Festival, Ozark Folk Center, Blanchard Springs Caverns, Buffalo National River and the Jimmy Driftwood Barn.

Introduction: "a correct remembrance of great events"--"By the eternal, they shall not sleep on our soil:" the New Orleans Campaign -- "Half a horse and half an alligator:" the Battle of New Orleans in the Era of Good Feelings -- "Under the command of a plain Republican--an American Cincinnatus:" the Battle of New Orleans in the Age of Jefferson -- "The union must and shall be preserved:" the Battle of New Orleans and the American Civil War -- "True daughters of the war:" the Battle of New Orleans at 100 -- "Not pirate ... privateer:" the Battle of New Orleans and mid-20th century popular culture -- "Tourism whetted by the celebration:" the Battle of New Orleans in the 20th century -- A "rustic and factual" appearance: the Battle of New Orleans at 200 -- Closing: "what is past is prologue

This book, which includes 308 tune transcriptions, is organized around individual fiddlers who typically combine Appalachian-style fiddling with rags, pop standards, Midwest-style fiddling and sometimes a touch of Western swing to create a style often identifiable as Ozarks. Thirty Ozarks fiddlers and their lives are highlighted with biographical sketches, photographs, and tune histories. Another 50 great Ozarks fiddlers are presented in a similar manner but with less detail. the book and accompanying CD (with 37 tunes, many recorded in the field) emphasize the older fiddling traditions connected to the square dances and community events more than those connected to bluegrass music and modern contest fiddling. Some of the tunes in the collection are old standbys such as Bile Them Cabbage while others such as Finley Creek Blues are unique to the region.The book is the result of years of work by two respected researchers. Gordon McCann won the prestigious Missouri Arts Award in 2002 for his decades of work documenting, studying, and accompanying Ozarks fiddle music. Drew Beisswenger, a music librarian at Missouri State University with a Ph.D. in ethnomusicology, has published three other works about fiddle music and is known for his strong transcription and analysis skills.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Collection consists of Jimmy Driftwood record albums, magazine and newspaper articles, photographs, songbooks, and collection of books written by Jimmy Driftwood called The Voice of the Hills. Books 1-8.