TENNESSEE ERNIE (Ernest Jennings) FORD
(The Old Pea-Picker; Ol' Ern)
newspaper clipping
(The original Pea-picker. "Bless your little pea-pickin' heart.")
February 13, 1919: Born in Bristol TN
(or Ford Town, TN)
1930's: Radio announcer, included hosting the network
Grand Ole Opry
Late 1930's: studied classical music and voice at Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music.
WAR YEARS: Served in World War II, Army Air Force
1948: Moved to San Bernadino, California;
Took on the name Tennesee Ernie;
Started the "Americana" agency with Steve Stebbins
and Cliffie Stone
1949: Signed with Capital Records, 5 singles released in 1949;
Two top tens: "Tennessee Border", "Smokey Mountain Boogie";
First number one single: "Mule Train"
1950: "Shot Gun Boogie" was #1 for 25 weeks on the charts
1951: Movie: "Man in the Saddle" (with Randolph Scott)
July 5, 1952: Guest star on summer replacement show "Old American Barn Dance"
1953: First country singer to star at the London Palladium.
1954: Television quizmaster, hosting NBC's "College of Musical Knowledge".
Also had a daily show.
May 3, 1954: Appears on I Love Lucy "Tennesse Ernie Visits"
and is vamped by a wicked city woman (Lucy)
May 10, 1954: Appears on 2nd part I Love Lucy: "Tennessee Ernie Hangs On";
sings: "Wabash Cannonball", "Y'all Come"
January 24, 1955: Appears on I Love Lucy "Tennessee Bound" as "Cousin Ernie"
in Bent Fork, Tennessee
May 1955: "Ballad of Davy Crockett" is #6 on the charts
September 20, 1955: Ernie recorded "Sixteen Tons"
November 1955: "Sixteen Tons" is in the #1 spot
(is #13 in the Top 30 of 1955, also #22 in top 100 of 1956!)
"Sixteen Tons" spent ten weeks at number one on the country charts;
number one for eight weeks on the pop charts.
January 1956: "16 Tons" on the charts at the #2 spot
October 4, 1956: Got his own show "The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show" on NBC;
His religious album "Hymns" went gold.
December 1956: Ernie is featured on "This is Your Life"
1957: His voice in the movie "The Lonely Man"
March 29, 1958: Ernie in TV Guide
December 1958: The Ford Show (Christmas show) with Kate Smith
April 2, 1960: TV Guide
1960's: joined the Confederate Air Force? (ex retired pilots group)
June 29, 1961: Ernie takes a break from his show
1962: Appeared on the "Andy Williams Show", December 27
1964: October 19, appeared on "Andy Williams Show"
1965: Single "Hicktown" is his last chart entry. Made top ten.
1966: Appeared on "Andy Williams Show", January 3; October 30
February 27, 1967: Appears on "The Lucy Show" episode
"Lucy and Tennesee Ernie Ford"
1984: President Reagan presented him with America's highest
civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom
1990: Inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame at the 24th
Country Music Awards
October 17 1991: Died of liver problems (in Reston, Virginia)
MISC:
Recorded for Capital records for 28 years;
Nighttime network tv show ran 5 years;
Did 3 years of network daily network musical variety shows;
Sixteen Tons sold 5 million copies;
First performer to headline country music concerts in major
Soviet Union cities;
Record over 100 albums;
Won a Grammy for gospel album "Great Gospel Songs";
Married Betty Heminger;
Had two sons;
Three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame