The Online Catalog allows searching and browsing of information about the Florida State Archives’ holdings of over 48,000 cubic feet of state and local government records and historical manuscripts. The catalog provides descriptions of over 3,400 collections and lists the contents of containers and folders in many of those collections. For assistance with accessing and using State Archives collections, call our Reference Staff at 850.245.6719 or email us at archives@dos.myflorida.com.
Chronological except for subject files, which are alphabetical.
Restrictions:
***RESTRICTED***: Older, more fragile audio recordings might require duplication prior to public access.
Terms Governing Use:
Older, more fragile audio recordings might require duplication prior to public access.
Biographical/Historical:
Jim Ballew was a versatile folk artist and performer as a singer, musician, songwriter, recording artist, actor, poet, and teacher. He was born in May 30, 1944, in Sylacauga, Alabama. In 1947, his family moved to Orlando, Florida, to better care for Jim's hemophilia. He graduated from Boone High School in 1962 and began his musical career.
In 1967, while working his way through Florida Memorial College, Ballew gained national recognition when he was invited to Nashville and "The Grand Ole Opry." While in Nashville, Jim recorded, appeared on television, and played in clubs along the famous "Printer's Alley." Also in 1967, the National Poetry Press Magazine in Los Angeles, California, published his poem "The Oracle," which won critical praise. In 1968, he recorded the "Florida Sand" sessions with Will McLean, Paul Champion, and Gamble Rogers.
In 1970, Ballew graduated from FMC with a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and recorded "Holy is the Day," his first single. He also established his own record company at that time. In February 1978, he married Mary L. Baker. In August 1986, Jim recorded and produced his last album, "Roll on Manatee," released in February 1987.
Ballew performed at many annual music festivals, including annual performances at the Florida Folk Festival at White Springs, the Festival of Performing Arts in Maitland and Winter Park, and at numerous colleges, universities, and public schools throughout the southeastern United States. His song "Roll on Manatee" was nominated for an Emmy Award. Ballew originally wrote the song about the Manatee River and later re-wrote it about the mammal when he composed the accompanying music for an Orlando public television show on the endangered manatee. The show aired several times nationally and its music was nominated for an Emmy Award. Jim Ballew died on August 13, 1987.
Summary:
This series documents Jim Ballew's career as a musician with information on his recordings, performances, writings, and art works. The materials include original, hand-written drafts of poems, songs, stories, and art works; photographs (both prints and negatives); folk music and folk art magazines, newsletters and journals; newspaper clippings; correspondence from 1967 to 1978 with his friends and family concerning his musical career and his personal life, and with music agents concerning his payment schedules and contracts; diaries and calendars from 1968 to 1987 recording his work, his health, and daily activities with his wife, family, and friends; address books; visitor registers from Ballew's August 1987 funeral; and subject files. Subject files include such materials as tax files, album promotions, and greeting cards. The collection also contains materials relating to other folk musicians with whom Ballew worked, such as Paul Champion, Gamble Rogers, and Will McLean.
Notable in this collection are the many audio and video recordings documenting live performances, studio sessions, and practice sessions alone and with other musicians such as Paul Champion, Gamble Rogers, Will McLean, Alan Stowell, and Ed Bradford. Most of the audio recordings are reel-to-reel tapes, many of which are fragile and deteriorating. The family loaned the tapes to audio-engineer Paul Butterfield for several years, and tape numbers assigned by Butterfield appear on the side and/or front of most of the tape boxes (the finding aid indicates both Butterfield's tape numbers and Archives-assigned tape numbers).
Finding Aids:
Folder listing available. 0
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Subject Access Fields:
Ballew, Jim 1944-1987. (James David), Champion, Paul, 1938-1986. McLean, Will Rogers, Gamble, 1937-1991.
Bluegrass music Florida Blues (Music) Florida Folk music Florida Folk singers Florida Folk songs Florida
Photographs. aat Diaries. aat Clippings. aat Audio cassettes. aat Audio tapes. aat Video recordings. aat Videocassettes. aat Sound recordings. aat
Added Entries
Rogers, Gamble 1937-1991
McLean, Will
Champion, Paul, 1938-1986.
for detailed listing.