Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tennessee Ernie Ford – born Ernest Jennings Ford in Fordtown, Tennessee on February 13, 1919 – was a country / pop / gospel singer and entertainer best known for his hits “Sixteen Tons” and “The Shotgun Boogie.”  He began his career in 1937 as a radio announcer before studying classical music at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Ohio the following year. From 1939 to 1941, he returned to radio announcing before serving in the US Army during World War II. Moving to Southern California to continue his work in radio, he began hosting an early morning country music radio show. To stand out, he created an exaggerated hillbilly character that he called Tennessee Ernie. As Tennessee Ernie Ford, he became a popular radio host and began to get involved with other country music shows. He started a new syndicated radio show called The Tennessee Ernie Show, which was distributed on transcription discs. Signing to Capitol Records, he scored a string of Top 20 country hits in 1949: “Tennessee Border,” “Milk ‘Em in the Morning Blues,” “Country Junction,” “Smokey Mountain Boogie,” and his first number 1, “Mule Train.” After more Top 10 and Top 20 singles, he scored number 1 hits with “The Shotgun Boogie” (1950) and “Sixteen Tons” (1955), which was also number 1 on the Hot 100 and became his signature song.  The hits were still coming on the country charts in the late 1950s, but by the 1960s, his records weren’t as popular thanks to the ever-changing music industry. However, he remained a popular – and lovable – actor and entertainer, often releasing best-selling gospel recordings. His early gospel albums – including Hymn (1956), Spirituals (1957), Nearer the Cross (1958), and The Star Carol (1958) – were his best sellers. Tennessee Ernie Ford left Capitol Records in 1975. He released albums on independent labels for the next decade. Tennessee Ernie Ford died at the age of 72 on October 17, 1991.