8th of january

[woodwizard]

As Jimmy Driftwood would say ... In 1814 we took a little trip...
Today being Jan. 8th always reminds me of about 1971 when I traveled the 3 hour trip up to Mountain View Arkansas with the College of the Ozarks Folk Lore class and got to visit and spend the night at Jimmy Driftwood's, (James Corbitt Morris's), house. I was young and it was so exciting. We brought our guitars and mandolins and got to jam and listen to his very colorful stories. I still remember him singing and playing his homemade box shaped guitar and his singing dog. That dog, (I think it was a Border Collie), actually sang with him ... it was amazing. We all stayed up till about 3:00 am. There was one of his friends I remember playing a fretless banjo. He was very good. First time I ever seen one of those. And the stories of going to Hollywood and rubbing noses with the likes of John Wayne and other movie stars of the times were amazing. Not too many people know that Jimmy Driftwood wrote about 6000 songs and has had about 300 of them recorded. Most people only remember " The Battle of new Orleans" and "The Tenn. Stud. Jimmy Driftwood passed on in 1998 he was also the guiding light for the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View Arkansas. A wonderful person ... sorry if I bored everybody. Today the 8th of January reminded me of those good times.

[HogTime]

I've been to Mt. View (town & folk center) a couple of times. Very neat place, with all the folks jamming around the town square. I was raised in Fayetteville, but never got to Mt. View until 30 years or so after I'd left Ark.

I knew Jimmie wrote a heck of a lot of songs, but not that many. Tennessee Stud is one of my favorite songs to sing in a jam. Also do 8th of Jan (aka Battle of New Orleans) some. I read that Jimmie wrote that song to teach his school class about the history of that war.

There's a teeny town near Mt. View called "Fifty Six". I'd like to have a place there on 56 56th St.

Whooo Pig Sooiieee (even though they looked pretty bad in the Cotton Bowl),

[woodwizard]

Yes... let's not talk about the Cotton Bowl please.....But how about that SEC!!! Strongest in the nation! The Hogs will get better.

Yes ...he use to teach I think grade school or maybe highschool ? ... and used his songs to teach history. I had a teacher one time that played the Johnny Whorton version of the Battle Of New Orleans all through class over & over one day ... most were talking and not paying much attention ...when there was about 5 minutes left in class he raised the map covering the chalk board and there were about 10 questions there. He said now it's time for a pop quiz.

[swampstomper]

Back in 1975 I was listening to the 0545 Lester Flatt quarter-hour on WSM-AM (those were the days!), with a teenage Marty Stuart in the band. I can remember like it was yesterday Lester's droll voice, "Well, Paul [Warren], since its' the 8th of January, how about a little bit of that tune?" Ever since, including this year, the first thing I do on the 8th when I get up is grab an instrument and play 8th of January. A senseless battle (the war was over!) but a great American moment.