Editing Burl Ives (section)

==Early life==
Ives was born in [[Hunt City, Illinois|Hunt City]], an unincorporated town in [[Jasper County, Illinois]], near [[Newton, Illinois|Newton]], to Levi "Frank" Ives (1880–1947) and Cordelia "Dellie" (née White; 1882–1954). He had six siblings: Audry, Artie, Clarence, Argola, Lillburn, and Norma. His father was first a farmer and then a contractor for the county and others. One day, Ives was singing in the garden with his mother, and his uncle overheard them. He invited his nephew to sing at the old soldiers' reunion in Hunt City. The boy performed a rendition of the folk ballad "[[Barbara Allen (song)|Barbara Allen]]" and impressed both his uncle and the audience.<ref>Burl Ives (1948). ''Wayfaring Stranger''. New York: Whittlesey House, pp. 15–20. ISBN 9781787204898</ref>

From 1927 to 1929, Ives attended Eastern Illinois State Teachers College (now [[Eastern Illinois University]]) in [[Charleston, Illinois]], where he played football.<ref>Betsy Cole, "Eastern Mourns Burl Ives", ''Daily Eastern News'', April 17, 1995.</ref> During his junior year, he was sitting in English class, listening to a lecture on ''[[Beowulf]],'' when he suddenly realized he was wasting his time. As he walked out of the door, the professor made a snide remark and Ives slammed the door behind him, shattering the window in the door.<ref>Ives, ''Wayfaring Stranger'' pp. 108–109.</ref> Sixty years later, the school named a building after its most famous dropout.<ref>Associated Press, "Eastern Illinois University Honors Famed Dropout Burl Ives," ''St. Louis Post Dispatch'', May 3, 1990, p. 71. Accessed via NewsBank.</ref> Ives was a member of the Charleston Chapter of [[DeMolay International|The Order of DeMolay]] and is listed in the DeMolay Hall of Fame. He was also initiated into [[Scottish Rite Freemasonry]] in 1927.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140328141228/http://scottishrite.org/headquarters/virtual-tour/burl-ives-museum/ Burl Ives Museum] ''Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite''.</ref> He was elevated to the 33rd and highest degree<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stjohnslodgedc.org/famous-masons |title=Famous Freemasons in the course of history |language=en |website=St. John Lodge No 11 F.A.A.M. |access-date=September 30, 2018 |quotation=Magnolia Lodge (now Magnolia-La Cumbre Lodge) No. 242 in Santa Barbara, California. Knight Templar, St. Omer Commandery No.30, Santa Barbara, Apr. 15, 1978; Shrine, inducted at Al Malaikah Shrine Temple, Los Angeles, 33 deg. AASR, Grand Cross. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151116030150/http://www.stjohnslodgedc.org/famous-masons |archive-date=November 16, 2015 |url-status=live}} (the oldest original or un-merged Masonic Lodge in the District of Columbia)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.matawanlodge.org/famous.htm |title=Celebrating more than 100 years of the Freemasonry: famous Freemasons in the history |language=en |website=Mathawan Lodge No 192 F.A. & A.M., New Jersey |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080510153526/http://www.matawanlodge.org/famous.htm |archive-date=May 10, 2008 |url-status=usurped}}</ref> in 1987, and was later elected the Grand Cross.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.masonrytoday.com/index.php?new_month=4&new_day=14&new_year=2018 |title=Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives Passes Away |language=en |access-date=October 13, 2018 |website=masonrytoday.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181014133057/https://www.masonrytoday.com/index.php?new_month=4&new_day=14&new_year=2018 |archive-date=October 14, 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

On July 23, 1929, in [[Richmond, Indiana]], Ives made a trial recording of "Behind the Clouds" for the Starr Piano Company's [[Gennett Records|Gennett]] label, but the recording was rejected and destroyed a few weeks later. In later years Ives did not recall having made the record.<ref>Tony Russell, ''Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921–1942'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004, pp. 17, 369.</ref>