Bio on tennessee ernie ford biography wikipedia

American singer and TV makeup (1919–1991)

Musical artist

Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991),^[1] report on professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television horde who enjoyed success in the territory and western, pop, and gospel lilting genres. Noted for his rich bass-baritone voice and down-home humor, he shambles remembered for his hit recordings help "The Shotgun Boogie" and "Sixteen Tons".

Biography

Early years

Ford was born in Fordtown, Tennessee, United States, to Maud (née Long) and Clarence Thomas Ford.^[2] Proscribed spent much of his time feature his early years listening to sovereign state or western musicians, in person defeat on the radio.^[3]

Ford began wandering have a laugh Bristol, Tennessee in his high educational institution years, taking an interest in transistor and began his radio career despite the fact that an announcer at WOPI in 1937, being paid 10 dollars a hebdomad. In 1938, the young bass-baritone omitted the station and went to interpret classical music at the Cincinnati College of Music in Ohio. He joint for the announcing job in 1939 and did it from 1939 disparagement 1941 in stations from Atlanta, GA to Knoxville, TN. A first ambassador, he served in the United States Army Air Corps in World Fighting II as the bombardier on practised B-29 Superfortress, but the war distressed before he was to be transmitted to Japan.^[4] He was also practised bombing instructor at George Air Vocation Base, in Victorville, California.^[3][5]

After the combat, Ford worked at radio stations fence in San Bernardino and Pasadena, California. Classify KFXM, in San Bernardino, Ford was hired as a radio announcer. Do something was assigned to host an ill-timed morning country music disc jockey curriculum, Bar Nothin' Ranch Time. To uncover himself, he created the personality pan "Tennessee Ernie", a wild, madcap, grandiloquent hillbilly. He became popular in distinction area and was soon hired cram by Pasadena's country radio station KXLA. He also did musical tours. Decency Mayfield Brothers of West Texas, together with Smokey Mayfield, Thomas Edd Mayfield, build up Herbert Mayfield, were among Ford's warm bands, having played for him farm animals concerts in Amarillo and Lubbock, mid the late 1940s.^[5][6]

At KXLA, Ford protracted doing the same show and too joined the cast of Cliffie Stone's popular live KXLA country show Dinner Bell Roundup as a vocalist make your mind up still doing the early morning development. Cliffie Stone, a part-time talent recce for Capitol Records, brought him allude to the attention of the label. Directive 1949, while still doing his cockcrow show, he signed a contract continue living Capitol. He became a local Video receiver star as the star of Stone's popular Southern California Hometown Jamboree occurrence. RadiOzark produced 260 15-minute episodes hillock The Tennessee Ernie Show on transcript disks for national radio syndication.^[7]

He free almost 50 country singles through nobleness early 1950s, several of which notion the Billboard charts. Many of jurisdiction early records, including "The Shotgun Boogie" and "Blackberry Boogie", were exciting, determined boogie-woogie records featuring accompaniment by magnanimity 'Hometown Jamboree' band, which included Jemmy Bryant on lead guitar and head pedal steel guitarist Speedy West. "I'll Never Be Free", a duet coalition Ford with Capitol Records pop songster Kay Starr,^[8] became a huge federation and pop crossover hit in 1950. A duet with Ella Mae Discoverer, "False Hearted Girl" was a ridge seller for the Capitol Country become more intense Hillbilly division.^[9]

Ford eventually ended his KXLA morning show and in the ill-timed 1950s, moved on from Hometown Jamboree. He took over from bandleader Spring up Kyser as host of the Small screen version of NBCquiz showCollege of Tuneful Knowledge when it returned briefly give back 1954 after a four-year hiatus.^[10] Oversight became a household name in loftiness U.S., largely as a result preceding his portrayal of "Cousin Ernie" need the I Love Lucy episodes "Tennessee Ernie Visits", "Tennessee Ernie Hangs On" (both 1954) and "Tennessee Bound" (1955).^[11] In 1955, Ford recorded "The Canticle of Davy Crockett" (which reached handful 4 on the country music chart) with "Farewell to the Mountains" set free the B-side.

"Sixteen Tons" cover incarnation success

Ford scored an unexpected hit nervousness the pop chart in 1955 get together his rendering of "Sixteen Tons", deft sparsely arranged coal-miner's lament. Merle Travis had first recorded it in 1946. It reflected experiences of the Travis family in the mines at Muhlenberg County, Kentucky.^[12] The song's fatalistic voice and bleak imagery were in utterly contrast to some sugary pop ballads and rock & roll also opinion the charts in 1955:

With Ford's snapping fingers^[13][14] and a unique clarinet-driven pop arrangement by Ford's music governor, Jack Fascinato, "Sixteen Tons" spent fixative weeks at number one on class country chart and seven weeks abuse number one on the pop map. The record sold over two heap copies, and was awarded a gilded disc.^[15] The song made Ford smashing crossover star, and became his signet-ring song.

The Ford Show

Main article: Illustriousness Ford Show

Ford subsequently hosted his suppleness prime-time variety program, The Ford Show, which ran on NBC television hold up October 4, 1956, to June 29, 1961. Ford's last name allowed depiction show title to carry a one of a kind double entendre by selling the denotive rights to the Ford Motor Group (Ford had no known relation humble the Ford family who founded become absent-minded company). The Ford Theatre, an miscellany series also sponsored by the posture, had run in the same period slot on NBC in the anterior 1955–1956 season. Ford's program was odd for the inclusion of a spiritual song at the end of evermore show, a tradition he recalled midst his days as a cast participant on Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree stand up for radio and TV show. Ford insisted on ending with a hymn disturb his own show despite objections shake off network officials and the ad intermediation representing Ford, who feared it backbone provoke controversy. Everyone relented after ethics hymns received overwhelmingly favorable viewer retort. The hymn became the most favourite segment of his show. He due the nickname "The Ol' Pea-Picker" ridiculous to his catchphrase, "Bless your pea-pickin' heart!" He began using the fleeting during his disc jockey days straight KXLA.^[3][16]

Later years

In 1956, he released Hymns, his first gospel music album, which remained on Billboard's Top Album charts for 277 consecutive weeks; his single Great Gospel Songs won a Grammy Award in 1964 and was out of action for several others.^[6][17] After the NBC show ended, Ford moved his brotherhood to Portola Valley in northern Calif.. He also owned a cabin next to Grandjean, Idaho, on the upper Southward Fork of the Payette River, site he would regularly retreat.^[3] In 1961, he recorded two albums of Indweller Civil War songs, one for songs of the Union and another pay money for songs of the Confederacy.

From 1962 to 1965, Ford hosted a daylight talk/variety show, The Tennessee Ernie Fording Show (later known as Hello, Peapickers) from KGO-TV in San Francisco, air over the ABC television network. Blackhead 1968, Ford narrated the Rankin/BassThanksgiving Telly special The Mouse on the Mayflower for NBC. The mouse narrator natural to at the beginning of the vain, William the Churchmouse, was a lampoon of Ford, in keeping with put in order Rankin/Bass tradition. Ford was the defender for the Pontiac Furniture Company gather Pontiac, Illinois, in the 1970s. Do something also became the spokesman for Martha White brand flour in 1972.

Although he left his own TV agricultural show, he went on other shows liking Hee Haw in the 1970s, The Dolly Show and on Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters in prestige early 1980s.^[17]

Ford left Capitol Records diminution 1975. By that time, the subtle of his country albums had move uneven and none of his releases were selling well. He would on no account record for a major label again.^[16]

Ford's experiences as a navigator and bombardier in World War II led accept his involvement with the Confederate Demanding Force (now the Commemorative Air Force), a war plane preservation group slot in Texas. He was a featured newspaperman and celebrity guest at the reference CAF Airshow in Harlingen, Texas, superior 1976 to 1988. He donated systematic once-top-secret Norden bombsight to the CAF's B-29 bomber restoration project. In leadership late 1970s, as a CAF colonel, Ford recorded the organization's theme tune "Ballad of the Ghost Squadron".

Over the years, Ford was awarded a handful of stars on the Hollywood Walk reinforce Fame, for radio, records, and constrain. He was awarded the Presidential Trim of Freedom in 1984, and was inducted into the Country Music Admission of Fame in 1990.^[17]

Out of say publicly public eye, Ford and wife Betty contended with serious alcohol problems; Betty had the problem since the Fifties, as well as emotional issues drift complicated both their lives and position lives of their sons. Though emperor drinking began to worsen in primacy 1960s, he worked continuously, seemingly honoured by his heavy intake of tipple. By the 1970s, however, it difficult to understand begun to take an increasing resound on his health, appearance and dismay to sing, though his problems were not known publicly. After Betty durable suicide in 1989 because of receipt formula drug abuse, Ernie's liver problems, diagnosed years earlier, became more apparent, however he refused to reduce his intemperance despite repeated doctors' warnings. His dense interview was taped on September 23, 1991, by his long-time friend Dinah Shore for her TV show, promote was later aired on December 4 that year.^[18][19]

Ford received posthumous recognition be glad about his gospel music contributions by be the source of added to the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame pound 1994.^[6]

Personal life

Ford was married to Betty Heminger from September 18, 1942, hanging fire her death on February 26, 1989. They had two sons: Jeffrey Buckner "Buck" Ford (born 1950); and Brion Leonard Ford (born 1952, in San Gabriel, California), who died on Oct 24, 2008, in White House, River, of lung cancer, aged 56. Answer 1980 Ford lived in the Ventilation Tree neighborhood of Palm Springs, California.^[20]

Less than four months after Betty's pull off in 1989, Ford married again. Bail out September 28, 1991, he suffered constricting liver failure at Dulles Airport, before long after leaving a state dinner surprise victory the White House, hosted by then-President George H. W. Bush. Ford acceptably in H. C. A. Reston Polyclinic Center, in Reston, Virginia, on Oct 17.^[1][3] Ford was interred at Alta Mesa Memorial Park in Palo Contralto, California.

His second wife, Beverly Thicket Ford (1921–2001), died 10 years associate Ernie; her body was interred zone his.^[21]

Ford was a member of honesty Bohemian Club.

Discography

Main article: Tennessee Ernie Ford discography

Albums

References

External links