into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Peter. Let me tell you a story. Don Warden is the publisher of “The Battle of New Or- © May 2011 by I sent a thank-you email to Mr. Emery leans.” He sold the foreign rights to Wesley Peter© 2012 Berryman by ArchivedPeter at louandpeter.comBerryman in August. I realized that had it not been Rose of the Acuff-Rose publishing company. Archived at louandpeter.com for his courage as a DJ, I never may have Wesley took the idea of a British version to Jimmy Driftwood and Ralph Emery been inspired by Driftwood, and hence Mitch Miller, then head of A and R at Co- may not have become a songwriter. lumbia records. Without telling Don or In earlier columns, I’ve spoken of one Jimmy Driftwood they took Horton into a of my songwriting inspirations, Jimmy To my delight, Ralph Emery wrote back: studio and made the record for the Cana- Driftwood (1907-1998) of Mountain dian and British markets. By the time Don View, Arkansas. Driftwood is best Peter, Jimmy Driftwood once told me that heard about it was too late. Don also said, to known for writing The Battle of New the song evolved out of an old square dance his embarrassment, they put his name on it Orleans, which was a huge hit for call. All he had to start with was “We fired as co-writer. Bottom line—The record Johnny Horton in 1959, but he wrote our guns and the British came a coming.” stiffed. Did not do well at all. I suppose the thousands of songs, and knew scores of Did you also know that Columbia records public thought the whole idea was silly. By traditional pieces. I only saw him in per- in the interest of profits had Horton re-record the way—Don Warden was an original son once, at a folk festival in Minnesota the song for the British and Canadian mar- member of the Porter Waggoner trio. When in the mid sixties. He was marvelous. I kets. In the revised version THE BRITISH Porter and Dolly split Don went with Dolly wish I had worked up the courage to WON THE BATTLE... How’s that for as her road manager. Tho no longer her road talk with him then, or in the following greed. When Jimmy heard about it he went manager, he still works as head of her Nash- years; he died in 1998. to Andy Jackson’s grave and cried for for- ville operation. A really nice guy. It was giveness tho he had nothing to do with it. Don who first heard that Johnny Horton was Recently I came upon a 2003 interview Just thought you would like these side bars. looking for a follow up to [his 1958 hit] by Dr. Brooks Blevins of Missouri State All the best, Ralph Emery When it’s Springtime in Alaska and sent University, with a folk musician named the Driftwood song to Johnny and his man- Glen Branscum (1928-2011). Branscum, I had no idea! Rewriting a song and re- ager Tillman Franks. They turned it down. also of Mountain view, was a lifelong writing history at the same time! Drift- Finally, when they realized the song was in friend and traveling companion of wood must have freaked. I wrote and my top ten at WSM they changed their Jimmy Driftwood. He helped build and thanked Mr. Emery again and asked if I minds about the song’s potential. Because was manager, since Driftwood's death, could quote him in WZ. He replied, Columbia records sensed a trend, they re- of the Jimmy Driftwood Barn, a mu- leased Soldiers Joy by Hawkshaw seum and music performance hall in Peter....I don’t mind being quoted... I be- Hawkins, 10 thousand drums by Carl Mountain View. lieve the second version is in a Johnny Smith and Ballad Of the Blue and Grey Horton boxed set. New lines...”In 1814 we by Lefty Frizzell. None of them were hits. In this interview, Mr. Branscum explains took a little trip along with Colonel As Paul Harvey would say, THAT’S THE that Nashville radio DJ Ralph Emery Packingham up the mighty Mississipp. We REST OF THE STORY. Best, Ralph Em- helped to bring Jimmy Driftwood’s took a little bacon and we took a little beans ery Battle of New Orleans to the attention and we met the blooming rebels in the town of Johnny Horton: of New Orleans.” Both versions said, “We All goes to show that "sensing a trend" fired our guns and the (British or Rebels, was no easier then than it is now, also Johnny Horton... Well, he was going some- take your pick) kepta coming, But there that a song is rarely popular just because where to perform that night... Ralph Em- wasn’t nigh as many as there was a while of its theme; it has to be a good song. ery, he put that on his radio program that ago.” Since the rebels were defending night, and it was late in the night... He against the advancing British, that line got It was a heady excitement for me to re- thought, ‘Well, it had hell and damn in it,’ dicey. Andy Jackson is buried here in Nash- ceive these personal emails from one you know, and that’s the reason the radio ville at his Hermitage mansion. Remember, person I admire so much regarding an- people, the disc jockeys, wouldn’t play it... Jimmy Driftwood was a history teacher and other person I admire so much. My So Ralph Emery just put it on there any- invested a lot of his soul in this song... Hope deep thanks to Ralph Emery for taking how. Johnny Horton, he heard it and heard this helps. Best, Ralph Emery the time to send me these fascinating Jimmy sing it, and... He called old Ralph notes. Hats off too to Brooks Brevins Emery up and said, “I gotta get this one...” Again I expressed my gratitude, and Mr. and Glen Branscum and, of course, Emery wrote this final explanation and Jimmy Driftwood. I’ve been a fan of Ralph Emery’s inter- clarification of the situation: --WZ Nov '12 views for years, first when he was host of the Nashville Network’s Nashville RFD-TV’s Ralph Emery Live: Now, and more recently on the weekly S www.rfdtv.com/shows/music_&_entertainment/ralph_emery_live/ Ralph Emery Live on RFD-TV, though K Brooks Brevins’ interview of Glen Branscum about Jimmy Driftwood: N his broadcasting career stretches way I web.lyon.edu/groups/mslibrary/rcol/branscum.htm back to 1951. In 2007 he was inducted L Also, do Google, YouTube, and Amazon searches for Jimmy Driftwood.