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American folk singer, actor, and author renowned for his warm baritone voice and pivotal role in popularizing folk music.Born in Illinois, Ives began performing as a traveling singer in the 1930s. He gained national fame through radio shows and Broadway, later transitioning to film where he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1958. His enduring legacy includes classic Christmas recordings and narration for the animated special 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer'.

• Expelled from Eastern Illinois State Teachers College in 1930 for playing banjo excessively instead of studying, leading him to become an itinerant musician.
• Named names during the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist after being accused of Communist ties in 1952, enabling his career to continue while damaging relationships with peers.
• Won an Oscar for his role in 'The Big Country' (1958) and narrated the beloved stop-motion classic 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' (1964), voicing Sam the Snowman.
• His song 'A Holly Jolly Christmas' (1964) became a perennial holiday staple, reaching triple-platinum status in the digital era.
• Died of oral cancer complications at 85; his ashes were scattered along the coast of his adopted home, Anacortes, Washington.