Ozark Mountains Spotlight: "Mountain Music Highway 66"

Celebrating the Musical Legacy of Arkansas' Mountain Music Highway 66

Location: Timberlane Ranch, Alberta Mountain, Leslie, Arkansas – Arkansas Highway 66 (The Mountain Music Highway)

Let's celebrate the Musical Legacy of Arkansas' Mountain Music Highway. 66 is famous not only for its scenic beauty but also for the profound musical legacy that runs through it. This is the same Highway 66 that folk legend Jimmy Driftwood once lived on, near Fox Mountain, right between Leslie and Mountain View in the small town of Timbo in Stone County. He taught school in

Jimmy Driftwood: A Musical Icon. Jimmy Driftwood is famously known for his hit song "The Battle of New Orleans." He often performed wearing a distinctive red cowboy shirt and holding his custom-made guitar,

Timbo and he bought a 150-acre farm there in 1947. My own home lies in Searcy County, and just across the road, the musically gifted Weedy family resides. Not far from here is a well-known fiddle player, Nathan Dodds, who is renowned in Mountain View and often plays the fiddle at the Leslie Ozark Heritage Arts Center and throughout the Ozarks. Further along the highway towards Mountain View, there are other families involved in music. Whichever direction you head—from Leslie to Timbo or Mountain View to Calico Rock—you’ll find musicians, farmers, and families whose roots in this land go back to the 1700s.  Jimmy Driftwood Began teaching: Around age 17 (~1924), Jimmy Driftwood wrote his first song around the age of 12. He also reportedly wrote his first poem at the age of eight. His song, "The Battle of New Orleans," was written in 1936 to help his students learn history.

Depicting the Battle of New Orleans.

On January 8, 1815, Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson's hastily assembled army won the day against a battle-hardened and numerically superior British force. The resounding American victory at the Battle of New Orleans soon became a symbol of American democracy triumphing over the old European ideas of aristocracy and entitlement. The battle was the last major armed engagement between the United States and Britain.

This land holds not only echoes of the Civil War but also vibrant modern legacies. Jimmy Driftwood’s mission to preserve and present folk music sparked a movement that endures to this day.

Nearly 60 years later, much of that spirit lives on in Mountain View, Arkansas, "The Folk Music Capital of the World.

The interior of KWMV 88.5 FM, Mountain View, Arkansas. Looking out over the Stone County Courthouse Stage downtown Mountain View in the Folk Music Capital of the World

Celebrating the musical legacy of Arkansas' Mountain Music Highway 66. Tune in to KWMV 88.5 for Mountain View Music 24 hours a day, every day. www.kwmvradio.com

Be sure to listen to Folk Music Rewind and

The Al Timberlane Show, where more authors, songwriters, and musicians are interviewed by some label artists; however, my passion will always reside in the Ozarks and in the traditions of bluegrass, gospel, and folk music.

I've been thoroughly enjoying the Jacob Austin Band, and I must say, their unique sound and vibrant energy have truly captivated me. The band has an infectious enthusiasm that resonates with our audiences, a refreshing blend of folk and wave elements that feels both nostalgic and innovative.

Introducing the Jacob Austin Band. Jacob, Dave, and Liz are sitting in a living room in Austin, TX, during a travel log recording with Al Timberlane.

Mountain View Travel Logs. Will keep following the Jacob Austin Band. As always, I sign off with a reminder: Imagine tomorrow today—and put God first in your life, and you will move mountains.

Written by Al Timberlane

July 25, 2025

Alberta Mountain, Leslie, Arkansas – ( Mountain Music Highway 66)