DRIFTWOOD, JIMMY
(1907–1998)
DRIFTWOOD, JIMMY (b. James Corbett Morris, Mountain View, Ark., June 21, 1907–July 12, 1998) An Ozark mountain folklorist and song collector, Driftwood is best remembered for his reworking of the traditional fiddle tune Eighth of January into the country hit The Battle of New Orleans. Raised in the Ozarks, Morris first learned music from his family; his uncle gave him a handmade GUITAR, and he soon mastered FIDDLE and BANJO as well. Jimmy worked his way through high school, occasionally…