Burl Ives: From Farm Boy to Folk Legend

Burl Ives, born in 1909 in rural Illinois, came from a family of storytellers and singers. His mother, Cordelia, and grandmother, Kate White, passed down a rich tradition of Scottish and Irish ballads. As the youngest of seven children in a farming household, Ives grew up steeped in music and humor, qualities that would shape his future performances. He was known in his small town for his voice as much as his athletic abilities on the football field.

After enrolling in Eastern Illinois State Teachers College, Ives found himself more drawn to music than to textbooks. He dropped out in frustration—once famously slamming a door mid-lecture—and wandered the country throughout the 1930s. With his guitar slung over his back, he busked, performed on local radio, and soaked up songs from every corner of North America. Those years traveling by rail and hitching rides shaped his identity as a modern troubadour.

Eventually, Ives found his way to New York, where he studied voice and made connections on stage and radio. His deep, warm voice became a signature sound on his radio program The Wayfaring Stranger, and he earned a Broadway role in The Boys from Syracuse. Hollywood came calling soon after, and Ives transitioned smoothly into film, most famously winning an Oscar for The Big Country. He also left a mark on Broadway, particularly in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

For many, however, Burl Ives is immortalized as the voice of Sam the Snowman in the stop-motion holiday classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. His performance, a mix of musical storytelling and gentle warmth, became a cherished holiday tradition. Behind the scenes, he was also politically active, though not without controversy—his testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1950s strained relationships with fellow folk singers like Pete Seeger.

In his personal life, Ives married twice and had one son. He eventually retired to Washington state, where he passed away in 1995. His music continues to influence generations of musicians, and his songs remain a staple in American cultural memory. With a legacy stretching from folk revival to Oscar night, Burl Ives truly sang his way into history.