University of Illinois at Springfield Norris L Brookens Library Archives/Special Collections I van Dodge Memoir D664. Dodge, Ivan (1915-1988) Memoir 2 vols., 99 pp. Dodge, visually impaired Bluegrass musician, discusses his childhood on a farm in rural Loami, Illinois: family life, home entertainments and holiday celebrations, his loss of sight, early musical training and influences, education at the Illinois School for the Blind, early radio programming, and ham radios. He also discusses his career in music, performances, children's concerts, radio appearances, other musicians, work as a music instructor and deejay, musical styles and innovations in technology. The lyrics to a number of songs are in-cluded in the memoir and references are made to Jimmy Rogers, Louis Armstrong, Peter Frampton, and Johnny Cash. Interview by Deborah Brothers, 1984 OPEN See collateral file: interivewer's notes and newspaper clipping about Dodge. Archives/Special Collections LIB 144 University of Illinois at Springfield One University Plaza, MS BRK 140 Springfield IL 62703-5407 © 1984 University of Illinois Board of Trustees Table of Contents Born in Fbral hami. Farm Life .................1 Fducation at Illinois School for the Blind ...........3 Early Wic Trabing/Anecdotes of School ............5 Family Background and Farrn Routines ...............8 Holidays ............................11 Aunt Hester Dodge. Early Fbsical Influaces ...........12 Farm Life ............................14 Family lktertaimmt ......................17 Ehilding a Crystal Radio Set and Early Radio Programring ....17 Early Career Aspirations ....................19 lhsical Influences .......................20 Career Training at Jacksomil le School .............24 First Jobs ...........................25 First Band (bicmkrs) ....................26 Buying First Hause in bami ...................28 Brother and Sisters .......................30 Street Musicians in St. Louis king War ............31 Playing on WLDS . Jacksonville ..................32 Birth and First Mamries ....................32 kmries ofLouis Rodenberg ...................35 Life at School .........................36 Graduation in 1936; Hand Injury .................42 Joins Band Called Rhythn Rangers ................46 WLDS Wio Spot With Prairie Sweethearts ............46 Ivan Dodge Memoir - Archives/Special Colelctions - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Traveling Alone d With Bands Playing Radio Shows .......50 kaming Other Ins tmts ...................51 Meeting Wife- to-be .......................53 Working as a Dee-Jay ......................55 Selling Blair Products and Playing at Prairie 'Land Opry .....59 Playing Children's Concerts ...................60 Problems With Eyes .......................63 Visual Mmmies .........................66 Mabel Mge. Backgraund .....................68 Member of American Federation of bbsicians ...........70 Differences in Radio Programming of 1930s and 1940s and&~~ent.......................... 71 Playing for Special Occasions ..................73 Mermry Process .........................75 Howard Simns. Friend and Co-musician for Forty Years ......76 Jimny Rogers. Red Foley Earliest "Famus" Influence on Ivan ............................78 Ivan as Msic Instructor ....................80 Ham Radio as Hobby .......................84 Preserving Past bic Styles ..................87 New Technology and bit Innovation ...............88 Camposing Wsic and Flrst mic Memrries ............90 WSSR and "Bluegrass Breakdm" .................92 Personalbic Style ......................93 Ivan Dodge's Original Music ...................95 Final Thougrhts ard Philosophies .................96 Ivan Dodge Memoir - Archives/Special Colelctions - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Preface This rtmuscwipt is the product of a tape-recorded interview conducted by Deborah Ekothers fbr the Oral History Office, Sangamon State University during the autmm of 1984. The tapes -re transcribed and edited by Deborah Brothers. Ivan Lee Dodge ws born July 1, 1915 in rural bani, Illinois. A forceps delivery injured his eyes at birth ard left him with partial vision. Ivan' s sight gradually degenerated until he became completely blird , in his early twmties. Ivan's parents, Ross and Mary, farmed for a living. Until the age of eight, Ivan lived in Loami, gathering eggs, paping water, listening to the victrola and learning to play harmonica. T3e continued this msical interest at Jacksonville School for the Blind, where he received all of his formal education fran 1923 until 1936. Braille wic notation and lessons Ere not his style homer, and at fourteen, he began playing guitar by ear. He later added tenor banjo, mandolin and fiddle to his repetoire. For hstfifty years, Ivan Dodge has dehis living by kis music. Jk is a piano tuner and private rmsic instructor by trade, but the real heart of Ivan Dodge lies in performing. He has been a member of several area country and folk bands, and played on countless stages and radio staths. As a song writer and performing musician, Ivan offers a merrroir full of vivid stories and detail. He has been both witness and participant to the gcowth of local country ad folk music perforrrrers ad the radio technology boom-- fran crystal sets to a mxrleting dia industry. Ivan ad his wife Nbel make their hare in herly. They are active in their church and take pride in their yard full of flowrs. Ivan frequently plays children's concerts and guest appearances on WSSR radio station's program, "Bluegrass Breakdown." Deborah Brothers ms raised in southern Illinois ad graduated fran Southern Illinois kiversity at Carbondale with a Bachelor's Degree in Ch- ad Photography. She received a Master of Arts in Carmunication fran Sargamon State kiversity in 1985. She is active in researching and documenting the experiences of visual and performing artists. Readers of the oral history mmir should bear in mid that it is a transcript of the spoken mrd, and that the intervier, narrator and editor sought to preserve the informal, conversational style that is inherent: in such historical sources. Sangartxm State University is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the mamir, nor for views expressed therein; these are for the reader to judge. The manuscript may be read, quoted ad cited freely. It may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, electronic or mchanical, withaut permission in writing Erm the Oral History Office, Sangamon State University, Springfield, Illinois, 62708. Ivan Dodge's original rmsic on the tapes is protected by copyright law. It may be enjoyed by listening to the tapes, homer, any requests to reproduce or use it armst be directed to the composer. Ivan Dodge Memoir - Archives/Special Colelctions - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Ivan Dodge, Fall 1984, Waverly, Illinois. Deborah Brothers , Interviewr . Q: Ivan, muld you tell ne there you =re born? A: At bami, Illhis. Q: 01 a farm? A: Yes, it ms on a farm. Q: Rural Route? A: Rural Route b. Q: And *en w that? A: July lst, 1915. Q: How long did you live on the farm? A: I lived there £ran that date until about 1936. Q: With your parents, both parents? A: (long pause) Q: Or ytxlr ma? (pause) bm and dad? A: Yea. Q: Did you have brothers or sisters? A: Well I had--- sisters. Ard then a half-brother . Q: Wethey younger or older? A: My sisters are younger, ~11they all three are punger than I am. My father died. My mthe~remrried. Ad so my younger brother, he ws their child, my mother and step- father. Q: Yes. Did you have particular chores to do vhen you were a little kid on the farm? A: Yes, oh yes. I used to pnnp water for the stock and pt out feed. Ivan Dodge Memoir - Archives/Special Colelctions - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Ivan Dodge 2 Q: Did yrm have a lot of cows or pigs? A: Fbstly hogs. FJe never had so many cows as vie did hogs. Q: Yes? 'Ihey -11 real good. (laughs) A: Oh yes, I haw. (laughs) Q: So did you have to slop h,give them food and stuff? A: Yes. Q: You could see then catldn' t you? 01: had partial sight? A: I had partial vision. Q: So, you hew *en to stay amy £ran the big pigs? You bet. I never got in there with the big hogs anywy. I've heard stories here they can really tear -body up. Yes, I wtxlld say. Did you have other things to do besides that? Well, I used to help with the chickens too, yuu know. Collect eggs? Yes. Did pu ever get pecked? A: k,not too rmch. (laughter) I got flogged a couple of times fran the chickens, hens. I'll tell p,they're very sensitive about wing their chickens, I found that out. Q: How did ycru find that out? A: kll, I just ms picking up a chicken to look at it one day, the hens didn't like the idea at all. Q: Md it peck you? A: Did it ever. It flew all aver E too. (laughs) Q: Did you have any other animals on the farm? A: bk hd horses. Q: Did you ride? A: Yes, some. And then, I used to go visit my uncle in the smmrtim, Ivan Dodge Memoir - Archives/Special Colelctions - Norris L Brookens Library - University of Illinois at Springfield - UIS Ivan Dodge 3 down here at Waverly . My cowin had a pony. I got to *we I could ride it. Q: htkind was it, a Shetland? A: Shetland. But you know, the hything, it muld let TE catch it &en it ddn't my cousin. Q: So it likd you better than yow cousin. (laws) A: Well, I don't how hther it MAS that, or vhether it sensed there ms somthing wrong with my eyes, or something, you know. Anhals can sense things like that. Q: Yes. Wll when you say that yau had partial sight, you man you could see colours . A: Colors, yes. Colors and maybe a little bit of big print, if it was real big, kt it mid have to be real large. Q: Did the doctors ever say dy, was it like that fran birth? A: They said it ms an eye injury. he to an eye injury at birth.