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On this day, October 17, 1955, Tennessee Ernie Ford's version of "Sixteen Tons" was released.
Tennessee Ernie Ford
Ford in 1957
Born: February 13, 1919, Bristol, Tennessee
Died: October 17, 1991 (aged 72), Reston, Virginia
Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist 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".
{snip}
Later years
{snip}
Personal life
{snip}
Less than four months after Betty's death, Ford married again. On September 28, 1991, he fell into severe liver failure at Dulles Airport, shortly after leaving a state dinner at the White House hosted by then President George H. W. Bush. Ford died in H. C. A. Reston Hospital Center, in Reston, Virginia, on October 17 – exactly 36 years after "Sixteen Tons" was released, and one day shy of the first anniversary of his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
{snip}
Ford in 1957
Born: February 13, 1919, Bristol, Tennessee
Died: October 17, 1991 (aged 72), Reston, Virginia
Ernest Jennings Ford (February 13, 1919 – October 17, 1991), known professionally as Tennessee Ernie Ford, was an American recording artist 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".
{snip}
Later years
{snip}
Personal life
{snip}
Less than four months after Betty's death, Ford married again. On September 28, 1991, he fell into severe liver failure at Dulles Airport, shortly after leaving a state dinner at the White House hosted by then President George H. W. Bush. Ford died in H. C. A. Reston Hospital Center, in Reston, Virginia, on October 17 – exactly 36 years after "Sixteen Tons" was released, and one day shy of the first anniversary of his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
{snip}
Sixteen Tons
Song by Merle Travis
from the album Folk Songs of the Hills
B-side: "Dark as a Dungeon"
Released: July 1947
Recorded: August 8, 1946
Studio: Radio Recorders, Los Angeles
"Sixteen Tons" is a song written by Merle Travis about a coal miner, based on life in the mines of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Travis first recorded the song at the Radio Recorders Studio B in Hollywood, California, on August 8, 1946. Cliffie Stone played bass on the recording. It was first released in July 1947 by Capitol on Travis's album Folk Songs of the Hills. The song became a gold record.
Authorship
{snip}
The eponymous "sixteen tons" refers to a practice of initiating new miners. In the mid-1920s, a miner tended to haul eight to ten tons per day, whereas for new miners, other miners would slack off so the new miner could "'make sixteen' on his very first day."
Tennessee Ernie Ford version
Single by Tennessee Ernie Ford
from the album Ford Favorites
A-side: "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry"
Released: October 1955
Recorded: September 20, 1955
Official audio
"Sixteen Tons" on YouTube {below}
Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded "Sixteen Tons" in 1955 as the B-side of his cover of the Moon Mullican standard "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry". With Ford's snapping fingers and a unique clarinet-driven pop arrangement, it quickly became a million seller. It hit Billboard 's country music chart in November and held the No. 1 position for ten weeks, then crossed over and held the number 1 position on the pop music chart for eight weeks, besting the competing version by Johnny Desmond. In the United Kingdom, Ford's version competed with versions by Edmund Hockridge and Frankie Laine. Nevertheless, Ford's version was the most successful, spending four weeks at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January and February 1956. On March 25, 2015, Ford's version of the song was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. It was featured in the 9th episode of Season 22 of South Park. In 2002, the song was played at the beginning of the Emmy-winning TV film Door to Door. In 2023, it was included on the soundtrack of the 2023 Wes Anderson film Asteroid City.
Other versions
Frankie Laine's version was not released in the United States but sold well in the UK. Ford's version was released on 17 October, and by 28 October had sold 400,000 copies. On 10 November, a million copies had been sold; two million were sold by 15 December.
{snip}
Song by Merle Travis
from the album Folk Songs of the Hills
B-side: "Dark as a Dungeon"
Released: July 1947
Recorded: August 8, 1946
Studio: Radio Recorders, Los Angeles
"Sixteen Tons" is a song written by Merle Travis about a coal miner, based on life in the mines of Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. Travis first recorded the song at the Radio Recorders Studio B in Hollywood, California, on August 8, 1946. Cliffie Stone played bass on the recording. It was first released in July 1947 by Capitol on Travis's album Folk Songs of the Hills. The song became a gold record.
Authorship
{snip}
The eponymous "sixteen tons" refers to a practice of initiating new miners. In the mid-1920s, a miner tended to haul eight to ten tons per day, whereas for new miners, other miners would slack off so the new miner could "'make sixteen' on his very first day."
Tennessee Ernie Ford version
Single by Tennessee Ernie Ford
from the album Ford Favorites
A-side: "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry"
Released: October 1955
Recorded: September 20, 1955
Official audio
"Sixteen Tons" on YouTube {below}
Tennessee Ernie Ford recorded "Sixteen Tons" in 1955 as the B-side of his cover of the Moon Mullican standard "You Don't Have to Be a Baby to Cry". With Ford's snapping fingers and a unique clarinet-driven pop arrangement, it quickly became a million seller. It hit Billboard 's country music chart in November and held the No. 1 position for ten weeks, then crossed over and held the number 1 position on the pop music chart for eight weeks, besting the competing version by Johnny Desmond. In the United Kingdom, Ford's version competed with versions by Edmund Hockridge and Frankie Laine. Nevertheless, Ford's version was the most successful, spending four weeks at number 1 in the UK Singles Chart in January and February 1956. On March 25, 2015, Ford's version of the song was inducted into the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. It was featured in the 9th episode of Season 22 of South Park. In 2002, the song was played at the beginning of the Emmy-winning TV film Door to Door. In 2023, it was included on the soundtrack of the 2023 Wes Anderson film Asteroid City.
Other versions
Frankie Laine's version was not released in the United States but sold well in the UK. Ford's version was released on 17 October, and by 28 October had sold 400,000 copies. On 10 November, a million copies had been sold; two million were sold by 15 December.
{snip}
Sixteen Tons
Tennessee Ernie Ford TV
48.2K subscribers
8,104,364 views Oct 30, 2018
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Sixteen Tons · Tennessee Ernie Ford
Sixteen Tons
℗ 2000 Capitol Records, LLC
Released on: 1955-04-10 {what?}
Tennessee Ernie Ford TV
48.2K subscribers
8,104,364 views Oct 30, 2018
Provided to YouTube by Universal Music Group
Sixteen Tons · Tennessee Ernie Ford
Sixteen Tons
℗ 2000 Capitol Records, LLC
Released on: 1955-04-10 {what?}
Thu Oct 17, 2024: On this day, October 17, 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford died.
Tue Oct 17, 2023: On this day, October 17, 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford died.
Mon Feb 13, 2023: Tennessee Ernie Ford was born on this date.
Tue Nov 15, 2022: On this day, November 15, 2003, Speedy West died.
Mon Oct 17, 2022: On this day, October 17, 1991, Tennessee Ernie Ford died.
Sat Feb 13, 2021: Tennessee Ernie Ford was born on this date-
Wed Feb 13, 2019: He was born 100 years ago today: Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Everyone remembers that one tune of his:
Sun Sep 2, 2018: 1965 version of Sixteen Tons