Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991),known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American singer and television host who enjoyed success in the country and western, pop, and gospel musical genres. Noted for his rich bass-baritone voice and down-home humor, he is remembered for his hit recordings of "The Shotgun Boogie" and "Sixteen Tons".
Ford was born in Bristol, Tennessee, United States, to Maud (née Long) and Clarence Thomas Ford. He spent a lot of his time in his early years listening to country or western musicians, in person or on the radio.
Ford began wandering around Bristol in his high school years, taking an interest in radio and began his radio career as an announcer at WOPI-AM in 1937, being paid 10 dollars a week.
In 1938, the young bass-baritone left the station and went to study classical music at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music in Ohio.
He returned for the announcing job in 1939 and did it from 1939 to 1941 in stations from Atlanta to Knoxville.
A first lieutenant, he served in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II as the bombardier on a B-29 Superfortress, but the war ended before he was to be sent to Japan.
He was also a bombing instructor at George Air Force Base, in Victorville, California.
