Burl Ives

Burl Ives – Life, Career, and Famous Quotes

Explore the life of Burl Ives (1909–1995): the American folk singer, actor, storyteller, and cultural icon. Discover his biography, achievements, memorable quotes, and the enduring lessons of his artistry.

Introduction

Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was a versatile American folk singer, actor, author, and cultural figure whose career spanned more than six decades.

Though often remembered today for his warm voice on holiday classics like “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and his role as Sam the Snowman in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Ives’s legacy reaches much further: he was deeply influential in preserving and popularizing traditional folk music, and also earned acclaim in film and theater.

Early Life and Family

Burl Ives was born in a rural area near Hunt City, Illinois (Jasper County) to Levi “Frank” Ives and Cordelia “Dellie” (née White). He was one of seven children.

From a young age, Ives sang in the household. A story is told that one summer day, while he and his mother sang in the garden, his uncle overheard and encouraged them to perform “Barbara Allen” at a gathering of war veterans—this early public performance left an impression.

He briefly attended Eastern Illinois State Teachers College (now Eastern Illinois University) between 1927 and 1929. However, he abandoned his studies before completing a degree, feeling that the conventional academic route did not match his ambitions.

Musical Beginnings & Folk Career

In the 1930s, Ives traveled the country as an itinerant singer, performing folk ballads and working odd jobs to support himself.

He made his first recording attempt in July 1929—“Behind the Clouds” for the Gennett label in Richmond, Indiana—but that recording was rejected and ultimately destroyed.

By the early 1930s, Ives began appearing on radio, for example on WBOW in Terre Haute, Indiana, establishing a foothold in folk radio performance.

In 1940, he launched his own radio show, The Wayfaring Stranger, named after one of his signature songs. Through this platform, he introduced and popularized a wealth of traditional folk songs, such as “Foggy Dew,” “Blue Tail Fly,” “Big Rock Candy Mountain”, and others.

As a folk-style singer, Ives often collaborated or associated with folk music figures and groups including The Almanacs, which sometimes featured Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

Acting, Crossovers & Film Career

Ives’s talents extended beyond music. He began crossing into theater, Broadway, film, and television.

• His Broadway appearances included The Boys from Syracuse (1938–39), This Is the Army (1942), Paint Your Wagon (1951–52), and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (he played “Big Daddy” on stage before reprising in film) among others.

• In 1942, he appeared in Irving Berlin’s This Is the Army, which also helped raise his profile in radio and performance circles.

• His film work includes So Dear to My Heart (1948), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Big Country (1958) (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor), Day of the Outlaw (1959), and many more.

• In The Big Country, Ives’s performance as Rufus Hannassey earned him significant recognition (Oscar win) in 1958.

• He also lent his voice and presence to television — notably, he voiced Sam the Snowman, the narrator and host of the 1964 stop-motion Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, singing “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.

• Beyond that, he appeared in TV shows like O.K. Crackerby! (1965–66) and The Bold Ones: The Lawyers (1969–72).

Over his career he gradually moved into country music as well as folk/pop, with records like “A Little Bitty Tear” and “Funny Way of Laughin’” that bridged genres.

Challenges, Controversies & Later Years

• During the early 1950s, Ives’s name appeared in Red Channels, a pamphlet that listed entertainers with alleged Communist ties. He chose to cooperate with the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in 1952, naming four individuals. This action cost him relationships with some in the folk world (notably Pete Seeger) who saw it as a betrayal.

• Despite that, he continued working in film, radio, and TV.

• In later years, Ives’s health waned. He was diagnosed with oral cancer in 1994. After surgeries failed to produce improvement, he lapsed into a coma and died at his home in Anacortes, Washington, on April 14, 1995, aged 85.

• He was buried at Mound Cemetery in his native Illinois.

He officially retired in 1989 on his 80th birthday, but he continued doing occasional benefit performances until about 1993.

Legacy and Influence

Burl Ives’s legacy is multifaceted:

• Preserver of folk tradition: Through his recordings, radio shows, and compilations, Ives preserved many traditional ballads and folk songs for future generations.

• Cultural icon in holiday music: His renditions of “A Holly Jolly Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” remain staples of holiday seasons.

• Bridge between folk, country, pop, and acting: Ives moved fluidly between musical and acting arenas, bringing folk sensibility into mainstream entertainment.

• Influence on storytelling in music: Beyond his singing, Ives was a storyteller, writer, and anthologist—collecting and narrating stories and folk lore.

• Recognition & honors:
    • He was inducted as a laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois and received the state’s Order of Lincoln.   • He earned the Silver Buffalo Award from the Boy Scouts of America.   • He was honored with the University of Pennsylvania’s Glee Club Award of Merit.

His voice, persona, and the sheer breadth of his work helped cement him as a beloved and enduring figure in American entertainment.

Personality and Talents

Burl Ives combined warmth, storytelling, and authenticity in his persona.

Traits and skills:

• Vocal richness and expressiveness: His baritone voice carried a gentle gravitas and an emotional connection to folk narrative.

• Storyteller & anthologist: He didn’t just sing songs—he collected, arranged, and wrote about folk traditions, composing books and songbooks.

• Adaptability: Ives never limited himself to one medium—he acted, sang, narrated, wrote, and taught.

• Relatable persona: Despite fame, he often positioned himself as a “wayside traveler” or common man, consistent with folk tradition.

• Resilience: Navigating political controversies, career transitions, and health challenges, he sustained relevance over many decades.

Famous Quotes of Burl Ives

Here are a number of memorable quotes attributed to Burl Ives, reflecting his poetic sensibility and reflections on life and music:

“When you’ve set goals and dreams, you don’t feel old.” “The cool wind blew in my face and all at once I felt as if I had shed dullness from myself. Before me lay a long gray line with a black mark down the center. The birds were singing. It was spring.” “I went to my room and packed a change of clothes, got my banjo, and started walking down the road.” “To be a man requires that you accept everything life has to give you, beginning with your name.” “Have a holly jolly Christmas!” (from his holiday repertoire)

These quotes illustrate his reflective, evocative voice and his affinity for journey imagery, music, and life’s transitions.

Lessons from Burl Ives

From his life and art, we can draw several enduring lessons:

1. Embrace multiple disciplines.
   Ives did not confine himself: he sang, acted, wrote, taught, and curated folk tradition. His versatility enriched his legacy.

2. Preserve and honor tradition while evolving.
   He respected folk roots yet was open to crossing into popular, country, and film genres—showing that tradition and innovation can coexist.

3. Storytelling bridges art and meaning.
   For Ives, songs were stories, and narratives were as vital as melody—emphasizing the power of context in art.

4. Stand for your choices
   Even amid controversy (e.g. his cooperation with HUAC), he chose a path he believed necessary for his career survival—though not without cost. It is a reminder of the difficult moral terrain artists sometimes face.

5. A career is a long journey.
   Ives’s decades-long career, with peaks and valleys, underscores the value of persistence, adaptation, and reinvention.

6. Find your voice and stay true to it.
   His warm, recognizable voice became his signature. While contexts changed, he retained his core identity as folk troubadour.

Conclusion

Burl Ives was a singular figure in American culture: both a guardian of folk tradition and an entertainer who could cross musical, theatrical, and cinematic borders. His voice still resonates in holiday classics, but the full story is richer—of a man who traveled, collected, told, and sang the stories of America.