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Ernest Ashworth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Ernie Ashworth |
| Born | Ernest Bert Ashworth (1928-12-15)December 15, 1928 Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | March 2, 2009(2009-03-02) (aged 80)[1] Hartsville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer,broadcaster |
| Years active | 1960–2009 |
| Labels | Hickory |
| Website | www.ernieashworth.com |
Ernest Bert Ashworth (December 15, 1928[2] – March 2, 2009)[3] was an Americancountry music singer,broadcaster, and longtimeGrand Ole Opry star. Signed to the Hickory label, he recorded two studio albums in his career and charted several singles onBillboardHot Country Songs, including the number one "Talk Back Trembling Lips" and seven other top ten hits.
Born inHuntsville, Alabama, United States,[2] he began his career singing on Huntsvilleradio stationWBHP.[2] In 1950, he moved toNashville, Tennessee,[2] where he worked for several radio stations and was signed byWesley Rose as asongwriter forAcuff-Rose Music. Among the artists who recorded his songs between 1949 and 1955 wereJimmy Dickens,Carl Smith,Johnny Horton, andPaul Anka.
Success as a recording artist eluded him, however, and in 1957 he returned to Huntsville and began working at theUS Army'sRedstone Arsenal, doing guided missile work.[2] Three years later, Rose arranged a recording contract for him withDecca Records.[2] Billed as Ernest Ashworth, his first single, "Each Moment (Spent With You)", became a Top Five hit.[2] Later that year, "You Can’t Pick A Rose In December" went into the Top Ten; and in 1961, "Forever Gone" reached the Top 20.[2]
In 1962, Ashworth moved toHickory Records, owned byAcuff-Rose, and he scored a Top Five hit with "Everybody But Me", and a Top Ten with "I Take the Chance".[2]
But it was his third release for Hickory that became a smash hit and his signature song. "Talk Back Trembling Lips" hit number one,[2] and stayed on the national country chart for 42 weeks, and peaked at No. 101 on the pop chart.
Voted "Most Promising Male Artist" byCashbox,Billboard, andRecord World magazines in 1963 and 1964, he was invited to join the cast of theGrand Ole Opry in 1964.[2] More chart records followed including "The D.J. Cried", "At Ease Heart", and "I Love To Dance With Annie".[2] Ashworth continued to be a regular performer at the Opry, but he never had a record to match the success of "Talk Back Trembling Lips".[2]
He also owned a radio station inFlomaton, Alabama, and for a brief time in the late 1980s, he also owned radio stationWEKT inElkton, Kentucky.[4] In early 1989, after selling WEKT, he purchased radio stationWSLV inArdmore, Tennessee. In 1992, Ashworth was inducted into theAlabama Music Hall of Fame. Always a popular performer overseas, he had a number one song on the UK Independent Chart, "Lonely Only Bar", in 1999 and was also named the "Number One Most Programmed Independent Artist in Europe" that year.
Ashworth remained active as a recording artist until his death in 2009, making appearances at the Grand Ole Opry and spending much of his time tending to the affairs of his radio stations in Ardmore, and alsoGallatin, Tennessee.
Ernie Ashworth died on March 2, 2009, in Harstville, Tennessee, at age 80.[3] He had undergone bypass surgery prior to his death.
| Year | Album | US Country | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Hits of Today and Tomorrow | 18 | Hickory |
| 1969 | The Best of Ernie Ashworth | — | |
| 1976 | Ernest Ashworth Sings His Greatest Hits[5] | — | Starday |
| Year | Single | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|
| US Country | ||
| 1960 | "Each Moment (Spent With You)" | 4 |
| "You Can't Pick a Rose in December" | 8 | |
| 1961 | "Forever Gone" | 15 |
| 1962 | "Everybody But Me" | 3 |
| "I Take the Chance" | 7 | |
| 1963 | "Talk Back Trembling Lips"A | 1 |
| 1964 | "A Week in the Country" | 10 |
| "I Love to Dance with Annie" | 4 | |
| "Pushed in a Corner" | 11 | |
| 1965 | "Because I Cared" | 18 |
| "The DJ Cried" | 8 | |
| 1966 | "I Wish" | 28 |
| "At Ease Heart" | 13 | |
| "Sad Face" | 31 | |
| 1967 | "Just an Empty Place" | 63 |
| "My Love for You (Is Like a Mountain Range)" | 48 | |
| "Tender and True" | 48 | |
| 1968 | "A New Heart" | 39 |
| 1969 | "Where Do You Go (When You Don't Go with Me)" | 69 |
| "Love, I Finally Found It" | 72 | |
| 1970 | "That Look of Good-Bye" | 72 |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
