Burl Ives

Burl Ives was an American folk singer and actor whose warm baritone voice and grandfatherly presence made him one of the most recognizable entertainers of the mid-20th century. Rising to prominence in the 1940s as a folk revivalist performing traditional American ballads and children's songs, he became equally celebrated as a character actor, winning an Academy Award for his supporting role in «The Big Country» and starring as Big Daddy in the film adaptation of «Cat on a Hot Tin Roof».

Ives is perhaps best remembered today for his holiday recordings, above all «A Holly Jolly Christmas», which became a perennial seasonal standard after he voiced Sam the Snowman in the classic 1964 television special «Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer». His catalog also includes beloved folk and novelty numbers such as «Little White Duck» and «The Ugly Bug Ball», reflecting his roots as a collector and interpreter of American folk tradition.

Spanning decades and mediums — folk records, film, television, and Broadway — Ives helped bring traditional American song to a mass audience at a time when folk music was gaining new popular attention, leaving behind a body of work that remains a fixture of American holiday and children's music.