/ Modified mar 13, 2024 3:50 p.m.

Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s State Balladeer

There’s probably no person alive who knows the songs, history, and myths of Arizona better than Dolan Ellis.

There’s probably no person alive who knows the songs, history, and myths of Arizona better than Dolan Ellis – because it’s likely, he’s the one that wrote them. Ellis has been serving as Arizona’s first and only Official State Balladeer, a unique governor-appointed position, since 1966. He has dedicated his life to traveling around the state, writing and collecting stories and songs about Arizona’s most colorful characters, landmarks, and legends. In 1996, Dolan founded the Arizona Folklore Preserve in Ramsey Canyon, a charming venue that continues Dolan’s dream of celebrating the folk songs and cowboy legacies of our state. The theater there still hosts weekly performances by visiting artists.

Producer: Bryan Nelson
Videographers/Editors: Eryka Dellenbach, Bryan Nelson

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