One of Burl's first movies was called "Smoky". It was about a horse (on top of)......
I was sold on him a performer then.

I think Ives was gullible and believed the HUAC as did Josh White also. Josh probably had his life threatened. A black man at that time was not treated fairly. Both named names.

Ives was a skilled and trained singer, something not usually accepted in the "folkie" crowd.
The "folkies" in the Fifties said the same derogatory thing about the singing of Richard Dyer-Bennet and joked about his rendition of John Henry.

Today, raspy voices and moaning and groaning are in vogue. That's more affected.

Aside from his unfortunate appearance before HUAC, Ives made the public conscious
of folk music before the Kingston Trio ever thought of doing that.

He was a consummate concert artist.