Francis Dolan Ellis (born March 1, 1935 in
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to ...
) has been
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...
's Official State
Ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or '' ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
eer since 1966, as appointed by ten consecutive governors. Governor
Sam Goddard made the first appointment. Since then, official balladeers have been appointed in other states.
In his role as Balladeer, Dolan has written more than 300 songs and performed them throughout the state and in most U.S. states, as well as in twenty foreign countries. As a musician, Ellis is known for his 12-string guitar, his baritone voice, the songs he writes, and his unique arrangements of other songs. He specializes in songs of Arizona and the American Southwest, but often goes back to his roots as a jazz musician. Dolan pioneered the use of large-screen photography to illustrate his songs.
He was an original member of
The New Christy Minstrels
The New Christy Minstrels are an American large-ensemble folk music group founded by Randy Sparks in 1961. The group has recorded more than 20 albums and scored several hits, including " Green, Green", "Saturday Night", "Today", "Denver", and ...
and was with them for their first five albums, several gold records, their Grammy in 1963 for Best Group, major concert appearances, and a full season (1962–1963) as regulars on the nationally televised ''
Andy Williams Show''.
In 1996, Ellis founded the Arizona Folklore Preserve, located in Ramsey Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. Operated by the
University of Arizona-South, the Preserve features guest artists on most weekends and monthly performances by Ellis himself.
In 2014, Ellis was featured in the documentary film ''Wall Of Dreamers.''
See also
* ''
The Bombing of Naco'', a folksong written by Ellis about the 1929
bombing of Naco by Irish mercenary
Patrick Murphy
External links
Official siteThe New Christy Minstrels Arizona Highways article
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellis, Dolan
Living people
1935 births
Place of birth missing (living people)
Musicians from Phoenix, Arizona
The New Christy Minstrels members
Singer-songwriters from Arizona