Bob Ferguson | |
|---|---|
 Bob Ferguson | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robert Bruce Ferguson |
| Also known as | Eli Possumtrot |
| Born | (1927-12-30)December 30, 1927 |
| Origin | Willow Springs, Missouri,United States |
| Died | July 22, 2001(2001-07-22) (aged 73) |
| Genres | Country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, actor, author, philanthropist |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar, steel string, piano |
| Years active | 1955–1978 |
| Labels | RCA Victor |
| Formerly of | Ferlin Husky,Harvie June Van,Chet Atkins,Dolly Parton,Porter Wagoner,Jim Ed Brown,Helen Cornelius |
Robert Bruce Ferguson (December 30, 1927 – July 22, 2001) was an Americancountry musicsongwriter andrecord producer who was instrumental in establishingNashville, Tennessee as a center of country music. He was also a movie producer, andChoctaw Indianhistorian. Ferguson is best known for writing the bestselling songs "On the Wings of a Dove" and "The Carroll County Accident".[1] The "Carroll County Accident" won theCountry Music Association Song of the Year in 1969. In 1983 "Wings of a Dove" was featured in the movieTender Mercies starringRobert Duvall. In 1987,Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI) awarded Ferguson with the "million air" plays for the "Wings of a Dove."
The country song "Carroll County Accident", recorded byPorter Wagoner, made No. 2 on theBillboard country singles chart (No. 92 pop) and No. 1 on theCash Box country singles chart. The tune was also recorded by Wagoner's longtime duet partnerDolly Parton. Ferguson married twice, first toHarvie June Van (1950s/60s) then to Martha Jean Lewis (1970 to 2001).
Ferguson was born inWillow Springs, Missouri, the third son of John Carl and Mary Willie Boles Ferguson. His brothers were John Carl,Alan Claude, and Paul Eugene. John Carl attended theUnited States Naval Academy and graduated in 1944. Alan Claude became a renowned forest ranger. Paul Eugene, as an enlisted sailor, witnessed many Pacific Proving Grounds atomic tests while aboard theUSS Estes. The Fergusons have a rich legacy including ancestors whom participated in theAmerican Revolution.
While in high school, Ferguson was a typesetter at the local newspaper, a fire tower lookout for theU.S. Forest Service, and a member of theMissouri State Guard duringWorld War II. After graduating from high school in 1945, he entered theU.S. Army. He attained the rank ofsergeant and served as aradioman for two winters in Alaska. He tested military equipment under Arctic conditions. He went on to study atSouthwest Missouri State University.
After discharge from the Army, Ferguson went out West and worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a fire tower lookout and trail crew boss. He also worked as a laborer in the wheat fields and a typesetter for the newspaper inMoses Lake, Washington. He led the Boy Scout Troop from that city to theBoy Scout Jamboree atValley Forge, Pennsylvania, in 1950.
Ferguson then enteredWashington State College,Pullman, Washington, under theG.I. Bill and earned a BS degree in Speech. He specialized in radio and television production.
While in college, Ferguson joined aMarine Forces Reserve unit. He was called to duty during theKorean War (1950–1952). Ferguson served as adrill instructor atMarine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and producer of Marine training motion pictures.
From about 1955-1961, Ferguson worked at the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission, headquartered in Nashville, where he produced films for the agency.[2] In 1959, Ferguson was to produce for the commission a 39 segment series on hunting, fishing, and wildlife subjects.[3] In 1960, the North American Wildlife Conservation Association named his productionThe World Outdoors the "Best Motion Picture of the Year."The World Outdoors influenced many wildlife television shows, most notablyMutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom series.
While working there, Ferguson also started in the music business. In 1958 he wrote his first multi-million seller song "On the Wings of a Dove". It was recorded byFerlin Husky whom Ferguson met inEl Cajon, California. It has since been recorded by many artists and in many languages around the world. It was featured in the movieTender Mercies (1983), starringRobert Duvall. In 1987, "Wings of a Dove" receivedBMI's "One million airplays" Award.
Performing with Husky, Ferguson played a character called Eli Possumtrout inThe Good Old Days, a motion picture produced by the Tennessee Game and Fish Commission.
After graduation from college, Ferguson moved toNashville, Tennessee, as manager forFerlin Husky.
"Tex Ritter once explained that ... It would be impossible to point to just one example of good fortune, or good timing, and say 'Right there was my big break.'"
The success of his song "On the Wings of a Dove"[5] enabled Ferguson to turn full-time to music. He became a senior producer withRCA Victor, where he helped create theNashville Sound of the 1950s and 1960s. He served as executive assistant toChet Atkins until his retirement. While there, he produced records, many inRCA Studio A. He particularly worked with producing the acts ofPorter Wagoner,[5]Dolly Parton,[5] (from 1967 - 75 he produced nearly all of Wagoner and Parton's duet albums, as well as all of their respective solo releases during that time) andConnie Smith. He also produced records byFloyd Cramer,Danny Davis,The Browns,Helen Cornelius,Lester Flatt,Homer and Jethro,Charlie Pride and many others. With Atkins, he played a major role in the development of what was to become known as theNashville Sound and elevated Nashville as thecountry music capital of the world. He also played a major role in developing theCountry Music Association. His first successful single was with The Avons.
Ferguson developed a comedy role as "Grandpappy Eli Possumtrot", a name which he took from a crossroad community near his childhood home inthe Ozarks. In that role, he recorded his own song, "Eli's Blue", a lament about a man who accidentally shot his dog.
Ferguson wrote several other songs, including the million seller, "Carroll County Accident",[5] first recorded by Porter Wagoner. In 1969 it received a Country Music Award for the "Song of the Year". In the 1960s Ferguson also wrote "Natividad", a Christmas song, and "Choctaw Saturday Night", a tribute toChoctaw Native Americans.
The country song "Carroll County Accident" was written when Ferguson passed through Carroll County when driving from Nashville to a concert for the Choctaw Indians in Philadelphia, Miss., according to an interview Ferguson granted with Steve Eng for the Wagoner biographyA Satisfied Mind. He recounted that he passed a sign for Carroll County in Tennessee, which inspired the song's title, and when he saw a sign for Carroll County in Mississippi the song was a finished work. Wagoner took the song to No. 2 on the Billboard country singles chart (No. 92 pop) and No. 1 on theCash Box country singles chart. The tune was also recorded by Wagoner's longtime duet partner Dolly Parton.
With Jesse Burt as co-author, Ferguson wrote two books:So You Want to be in Music andSoutheastern Indians: Then and Now.
So You Want to be in Music is a book about the music industry for aspiring songwriting and recording professionals.Southeastern Indians: Then and Now is a general-interest book aboutNative Americans of theDeep South, covering theChoctaw,Cherokee,Creek,Chickasaw, andSeminole tribes.
While working at RCA, Ferguson earned a Master's Degree inanthropology fromVanderbilt University. He served as volunteer Project Director and President of Southeastern Indian Antiquities Survey and in that role oversaw the survey, recovery, and preservation of remains and artifacts unearthed during construction in the Nashville area. One startling discovery was the remains of the firstsaber-toothed tiger found east of the Mississippi River. It was found during construction of theRegions Center, former First American Bank building, in downtown Nashville.[6][7] On September 25, 1997, the newly established hockey team, theNashville Predators, adopted the head of a saber-toothed tiger as their logo.
"In the rich tapestry of American life, ... the southeastern Indian and his brothers everywhere see their own special and beautiful heritage. They are Americans who happen to be Indians and are proud of it.'"
After his retirement from RCA, Ferguson moved his family to live near the reservation of theMississippi Band of Choctaw Indians inPhiladelphia, Mississippi. He had worked in various capacities with the tribe since the 1950s. There he served as editor of theChoctaw Times, and historian and audio- visual producer for theMississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. In that role, he helped establish the Museum of the Southern Indian (Choctaw Museum) in 1981. He also worked part-time as promotional director of theChucalissa Prehistoric Indian Village inMemphis, Tennessee.[9] In 1983, he created the foundation for Choctaw Video Productions and created numerous tribal productions.
In 1987, Ferguson established WHTV as local cable service for Pearl River/Philadelphia, Mississippi. He retired from that position in 1998, when he was also named Tribal HistorianEmeritus. He established the tribe's organic gardening program in 1978.
Ferguson died ofcancer on Sunday, July 22, 2001 at 1:05 a.m. in theUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center inJackson, Mississippi. He was buried at Phillip's Cemetery in ruralNeshoba County nearPhiladelphia, MS.
"Jim Ed and I actually met in Studio B at RCA Records where we recorded many of our hits that followed the initial, "I Don't Want To Have To Marry You." He had been an RCA artist for years and I had just been signed to the label, both of us were produced by Bob Ferguson ... Bob Ferguson played some of my demo tape recordings for Jim Ed, but he did not like my voice. Thank goodness Bob convinced him that we would blend, and that the song became a hit. It was the #1 song in the nation three months after we had met in the studio."
Ferguson was the recipient of many awards and recognitions during his multiple careers. He was also a member ofMensa, asociety of people with high I.Q.s.
Ferguson worked for nearly 30 years at RCA's Studio B producing hundreds of albums for artists such as Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, and Porter Wagoner.
