Ernie Ashworth
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Contact Information Booking Info: Kid Kody Management |
| AT ONE TIME GRAND OLE OPRY STAR ERNIE
ASHWORTH DID GUIDED MISSLE WORK...UNTIL HIS SONGS BEGAN TO SHOOT UP
THE COUNTRY CHARTS LIKE ROCKETS. ERNIE'S BIGGEST HIT, AND THE ONE THAT BROUGHT HIM TO THE OPRY IN 1964 IS "TALK BACK TREMBLING LIPS." A NO. 1 HIT FOR ERNIE IN 1963. NOT ONLY DID IT STAY ON THE NATIONAL COUNTRY CHARTS FOR 35 WEEKS, THE SONG MADE A GOOD SHOWING ON THE POP CHARTS, MAKING IT ONE OF THE FIRST CROSSOVER RECORDS. ALTHOUGH, ERNIE DID NOT WRITE THIS KILLER HIT, HE HAS ENJOYED GOOD SUCCESS AS A SONGWRITER. THE HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA NATIVE SAID HE COULD WRITE SONGS LONG BEFORE HE COULD PLAY MUSIC. THE YOUNG OPRY FAN EARLY ON LEARNED TO PLAY GUITAR AND SING, AND BY AGE 20 WAS FEATURED ON RADIO STATION WBHP IN HUNTSVILLE. FROM THERE HE MOVED TO NASHVILLE AND BETWEEN 1949 AND 1955 WORKED FOR SEVERAL RADIO STATIONS, INCLUDING WLAC AND WSIX. HIS INITIAL SUCCESS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS, HOWEVER, CAME FROM WRITING SONGS FOR COUNTRY STARS SUCH AS LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS, CARL SMITH, JOHNNY HORTON, WILMA LEE COOPER AND PAUL ANKA WHO RECORDED ERNIE'S SONG, "I WISH." AT ONE TIME HE WAS SIGNED AS AN EXCLUSIVE WRITER FOR ACUFF-ROSE, NASHVILLE'S FIRST MUSIC PUBLISHING COMPANY, BY WESLEY ROSE WHO ALSO GOT ERNIE A RECORDING DEAL WITH MGM IN 1955. ALTHOUGH, HE HAD SEVERAL SINGLES FOR THE LABEL, HE DIDN'T CATCH ON AS A SINGER, SO HE RETURNED TO HUNTSVILLE AND WENT TO WORK FOR THE ARMY'S REDSTONE ARSENAL, DOING GUIDED MISSILE WORK. THREE YEARS LATER, WESLEY ROSE CALLED TO SAY HE HAD GOTTEN ERNIE A DEAL WITH DECCA RECORDS. BILLED AS ERNEST ASHWORTH, THE YOUNG SINGER'S FIRST SINGLE ON THE LABEL, "EACH MOMENT SPENT WITH YOU" WAS A TOP 5 HIT. THAT SAME YEAR "YOU CAN'T PICK A ROSE IN DECEMBER" WENT TOP 10 AND THE NEXT YEAR "FOREVER GONE" WENT TOP 20. IN 1962 ERNIE CHANGED TO HICKORY RECORDS, A LABEL OWNED BY ACUFF-ROSE, AND IMMEDIATELY SCORED ANOTHER HIT WITH "EVERYBODY BUT ME" WHICH WENT TOP 5. NEXT CAME A TOP 10 HIT, "I TAKE THE CHANCE." HIS THIRD SINGLE FOR THE NEW LABEL WAS THE NO. 1 SMASH "TALK BACK TREMBLING LIPS." IN 1963 AND 1964 ERNIE WAS VOTED THE "MOST PROMISING MALE ARTIST" BY CASH BOX, BILLBOARD AND RECORD WORLD. ALSO, IN 1964 HIS LIFELONG DREAM CAME TRUE WHEN HE JOINED THE OPRY CAST ON MARCH 7. YOUNG ERNIE NEXT SCORED MORE HITS, THE TOP 10 "A WEEK IN THE COUNTRY," THE TOP 5 "I LOVE TO DANCE WITH ANNIE" AND THE TOP 15 "PUSHED IN A CORNER." OTHER HITS FOLLOWED, INCLUDING "BECAUSE I CARED," " THE DJ CRIED," "I WISH," "AT EASE HEART," "SAD FACE" AND "A NEW HEART." FOR 10 YEARS FROM 1960 TO 1970 EVERY RECORD ERNIE RELEASED MADE THE NATIONAL CHARTS. OF THESE, 12 WERE TOP 10 HITS. IN BETWEEN HITS ERNIE APPEARED ON THE SILVER SCREEN IN THE MOVIE "THE FARMER'S OTHER DAUGHTER" IN 1965. NOT ONLY IS ERNIE A SUCCESSFUL SINGER AND SONGWRITER, HE'S A BUSINESS MAN TOO. IN 1989 HE BOUGHT RADIO STATION WSLV IN ARDMORE, TENNESSEE, 20 MILES FROM HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA. IN 1991 HE RECEIVED THE LIVING LEGEND AWARD FROM THE MAJOR INDEPENDENT RECORD LABEL AWARDS SHOW. THAT YEAR CURB RECORDS RELEASED AN ALBUM OF ORIGINAL RECORDINGS OF SOME OF HIS TOP 10 HITS FROM THE 1960S. IN 1992 HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE ALABAMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME, RECORDED A NEW ALBUM ON PLAYBACK RECORDS AND ENJOYED SOME SUCCESS WITH HIS SINGLE "YOU CHANGED A ROLLIN' STONE." THE NEXT YEAR HE CONTRIBUTED SONGS ON A NEW GOSPEL ALBUM ON THE PLAYBACK LABEL AND IN 1993 HAD A SINGLE "I WISH" ON THE INDEPENDENT CHARTS. IN 1999 ERNIE'S CAREER AGAIN TOOK OFF LIKE A ROCKET WHEN HE RECORDED HIS "35TH GRAND OLE OPRY ANNIVERSARY CD." ONE OF THE COUNTRY SONGS IN THE CD "SHE DON'T DRINK, SHE DON'T SMOKE BUT SHE LIES" HIT THE #4 SPOT IN THE EUROPEAN COUNTRY MUSIC CHARTS. ONE OF THE GOSPEL SONGS IN THE CD "FAR SIDE BANKS OF JORDAN" HIT THE #35 SPOT IN THE GOSPEL CHARTS. HE HAD A #1 SONG IN THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL CHARTS "LONELY'S ONLY BAR." IN MAY OF 1999 ERNIE WAS VOTED THE #1 MOST PROGRAMMED INDEPENDENT ARTIST IN EUROPE. IN OCTOBER 1999 ERNIE RECEIVED THE KING EAGLE PIONEER AWARD. ALSO, IN 1999 HE RECEIVED THE TRACKER MAGAZINE LIVING LEGEND AWARD. IN APRIL, 2000 AT THE GOLDEN MUSIC AWARD SHOW ERNIE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE INDEPENDENT COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME. ERNIE IS STILL AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE GRAND OLE OPRY AND STILL PLAYS ROAD DATES. |
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"You all probably know Ernie's work, and if you do, maybe you've had a chance, by now, to hear "ERNIE ASHWORTH AND FRIENDS". It's being played all over Europe (here in the states, too, if you have a station that still plays "traditional" country), and it's one terrific album!! And about as PURE country as it gets. To be very honest with ya, I wasn't really prepared to like this one SO MUCH! But this was some of the best work I've heard in country music--anywhere! I can't really express the gratitude I feel to Ernie and his graciousness in sending me this album (and the sweetly signed photo). It's gonna remain a highlight for me. I truly hope that everyone will make a special effort to pick up this new CD, I know you'll enjoy it. This album has such great warmth and spirit, and truly stands out in my growing collection of REAL country." - Linda Fryer, My Kind of Country
Ernie Asworth has found his place in the world.
It was long since "Talk Back Trembling" was his first #1 hit, but he's
still a member of The Grand Ole Opry and is touring frequently. His voice has
been aging with grace and one thing is for sure: Every single word comes from
the bottom of his heart.
The album "From The Heart And Lips Of Ernie Ashworth" somewhat feels
like a looking back on his past life. Serious songs are mixed with lighthearted
humor, Christian material with stories from the other side of life, and oldies
with newly written songs. They are kept together by a solid country background
that reminisce of the 60's. All together a great album for those who loved
country music as it were back then, as well as for us who were barely
born."
Best regards,
Jonas