Ivory Joe Hunter

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it — Ivory Joe Hunter, out of Jasper County, Texas. Now, some people are born into music. And some people are born into it twice, once in the body and once in the soul.

By every account, Ivory Joe Hunter was both kinds. He came into this world on October 10 — the year being either 1911 or 1914, and history hasn't quite settled that argument — in the tram town neighborhood of Kirbyville. He grew up in a musically accomplished family, and the talent showed early.

Showed real early. But life had a hard turn waiting for him: his parents died when he was thirteen years old. After that, he went to live with relatives in Port Arthur.

He graduated high school, then moved to Beaumont. And then — well, then the whole country opened up, because Hunter began traveling across the United States as a musician. The road was his classroom, and he was a quick study.

In 1933, he made his first recording. Not for some little local outfit — for the Library of Congress. Let that settle over you for a moment.

His first recording, and it goes straight into the national archive. Soon after that, he was back in Beaumont, hosting a radio show for station KFDM. He didn't stop there either — he worked his way up to program manager.

The man had range, and not just musical range. Eventually Hunter made his way to Berkeley, California, and by 1942 he had recorded a song called "Blues at Sunrise" on his own label. That was his first commercial success.

Now, the label itself didn't last — it failed — but Ivory Joe Hunter didn't slow down one step. He recorded with other companies and started releasing hits. "I Quit my Pretty Mama." "Guess Who." "Waiting in Vain." Names that rang out on radios across this country. Then came 1949, and he signed with MGM Records.

That partnership produced some of the biggest moments of his career — "I Almost Lost my Mind," "I Need You So," and a song called "Since I Met You Baby," which went on to become an American standard. He was reachin' white audiences and Black audiences alike, through his music and through television appearances, including the Ed Sullivan Show. You didn't get much bigger than that stage in those years.

And just when you might think you had him figured out, Ivory Joe Hunter turned and walked into country music. He moved to Nashville in the 1960s and began making regular appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. His compositions were recorded by other artists — including Elvis Presley.

The man from Kirbyville, writing songs that Elvis Presley put his voice to. Think on that. He died in 1974 from lung cancer and was buried back home in Kirbyville, in the same place where it all began.

The Texas Senate passed a resolution in 1975 honoring him. They put it plainly and they put it right: Ivory Joe Hunter was a musician whose achievements were outstanding, and who used his talent to bring pleasure to millions. Millions.

From a tram town neighborhood in Kirbyville, Texas. That's the whole arc of the story, and it lands right back where it started.

What the marker says

Ivory Joe Hunter was an African-American musician who achieved success across a variety of musical genres. He was born on October 10, in either 1911 or 1914, and grew up in the tram town neighborhood of Kirbyville. Hunter's talent was apparent from an early age, and he grew up in a musically accomplished family. His parents died when he was thirteen; he then went to live with relatives in Port Arthur. After graduating high school, Hunter moved to Beaumont, before traveling across the U.S. as a musician. In 1933, Hunter made his first recording for the Library of Congress. Soon afterwards, he began to host a radio show for station KFDM in Beaumont, where he would become program manager. Hunter later moved to Berkeley, California, and by 1942 he recorded "Blues at Sunrise" on his own label; it was his first commercial success. His label failed and he recorded with other companies, releasing hits like "I Quit my Pretty Mama," "Guess Who," and "Waiting in Vain." In 1949, he signed with MGM Records, where his successful recordings included "I Almost Lost my Mind," "I Need You So," and "Since I Met You Baby," which became an American standard. He reached white and black audiences alike through his music and by television appearances, such as on the Ed Sullivan Show. Hunter became a popular country music artist as well, and moved to Nashville in the 1960s, where he began to make regular appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. His compositions were recorded by other artists, including Elvis Presley. He died in 1974 from lung cancer and was buried in Kirbyville. A 1975 Texas Senate Resolution honored him, stating that Ivory Joe Hunter was a musician "whose achievements were outstanding, and who used his talent to bring pleasure to millions."