A string of Ives' hit records, mostly for American Decca and primarily under the supervision of the legendary Owen Bradley, included such songs as "The Blue-Tail Fly" (his all-time biggest hit), "A Little Bitty Tear," "(It's Just My) Funny Way of Laughin'," "Mr. In Between" , "A Holly Jolly Christmas," and, of course, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.".
Adopted son Alexander with first wife Helen. When they separated in 1960, she got custody.
An activist liberal Democrat, in 1952 he named fellow folk singer Pete Seeger and others as possible Communists to the House Unamerican Activities Committee (HUAC) in order to avoid being blacklisted.
Burl Ives was the voice of Sam the Eagle, the narrator of the classic Disneyland attraction "American Sings" (1974-1988) in Tomorrowland.
During the first season "The Ren & Stimpy Show" (1991) episode "Stimpy's Invention" featured a record, "Happy Happy Joy Joy," which contained a variety of spoken-word segments meant to parody some of Ives' albums from the 1960s. When Ives saw the episode, he contacted Ren and Stimpy Show creator John Kricfalusi and said that he would have been willing to do the voice over work for it.
Frequent benefits for Indian reservations, peace academies, Boy Scouts, environmental groups, arts foundations, children's medicine
Has at least five grandchildren.
He was a 33rd Degree Mason.
His wife and three step-children were with him when he died.
Interred at Mound Cemetery, Jasper County, Illinois, USA.
Received the DeMolay Legion of Honor in 1986.
Three step-children, Kevin Murphy, Rob Grossman, and Barbara Vaughn.
Was a licensed amateur (ham) radio with the call sign KA6HVA. When he passed away, he became, in ham radio parlance, a "silent key."
Was inducted into the DeMolay Hall of Fame on June 24th, 1994.
Was initiated into DeMolay at the George N. Todd Chapter in Charleston Illinois, in 1927.