Ernie Ashworth

Infobox Person


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name = Ernie Ashworth
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birth_name = Ernest Bert Ashworth
birth_date = birth date and age|1928|12|15
birth_place = Huntsville, Alabama
death_date =
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nationality = USA
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occupation = singer/broadcaster
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website = http://www.ernieashworth.com/
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Ernie Ashworth is an American country music singer and longtime star of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee.

Born Ernest Bert Ashworth in Huntsville, Alabama, on December 15, 1928, he began his career singing on Huntsville radio station WBHP. In 1949, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked for several radio stations and was signed by Wesley Rose as a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music. Among the artists who recorded his songs between 1949 and 1955 were Jimmy Dickens, Carl Smith, Johnny Horton and Paul Anka.

However, success as a recording artist eluded him and in 1957, he returned to Huntsville and began working at the Redstone Arsenal, doing guided missile work. Three years later, Rose arranged a recording contract for him with Decca Records. Billed as "Ernest Ashworth," his first single, "Each Moment (Spent With You)," became a Top 5 Hit. Later that year, "You Can’t Pick A Rose In December" went into the Top 10 and in 1961, "Forever Gone" went into the Top 20.

In 1962, he moved to Hickory Records, the label owned by Acuff-Rose, and he scored a Top 5 Hit with "Everybody But Me" and a Top 10 with "I Take The Chance."

But it was his third release for Hickory that would become his signature song and the Number 1 smash. “Talk Back Trembling Lips” stayed on the national charts for 42 weeks and also did quite well on the pop charts.

Voted "Most Promising Male Artist" by Cashbox, Billboard and Record World in 1963 and 1964, he was invited to join the cast of the Grand Ole Opry in 1964. More chart records followed including "The D.J. Cried," "At Ease Heart" and "I Love To Dance With Annie." Ashworth continued to be a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry, but he never had a record to match the success of "Talk Back Trembling Lips".

In 1989, he turned businessman by purchasing radio station WSLV in Ardmore, Tennessee. In 1992, Ashworth was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Always a popular performer overseas, he had a Number 1 song on the Independent National Charts, "Lonely Only Bar," in 1999 and was also named the "Number 1 Most Programmed Independent Artist in Europe" that same year.

Ashworth is still active as a recording artist and makes appearances at the Grand Ole Opry. He spends much of his time tending to the affairs of his radio stations in Ardmore and Gallatin, Tennessee.

Ernie was inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame on February 22, 2008. [cite news |work=Montgomery Advertiser |first=Alvin |last=Benn |date=2008-03-28 |title=Country crooner honored today]

Charting singles

*"Each Moment (Spent With You)" (1962) U.S. Billboard Country Singles #4
*"Everybody But Me" (1962) #3
*"I Take the Chance" (1963) #7
*"Talk Back Trembling Lips" (1963) #1
*"I Love to Dance with Annie" (1964) #4
*"A Week in the Country" (1964) #10
*"Because I Cared" (1965) #18
*"Pushed in a Corner" (1965) #11
*"The DJ Cried" (1965) #8
*"At Ease Heart" (1966) #13
*"I Wish" (1966) #28
*"Sad Face" (1967) #31
*"A New Heart" (1968) #39

References

External links

* [http://www.ernieashworth.com/ Official Website]
* [http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/ashworth_ernest/artist.jhtml/ CMT]
* [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:aifpxql5ldae~T1 Ernest Ashworth] at Allmusic
* [http://www.opry.com/MeetTheOpry/Members.aspx?id=58/ Grand Ole Opry Members: Ernie Ashworth]