Tennessee Ernie Ford Sings “John Henry”
Ernest Jennings Ford was born in Bristol, Tennessee, earning him the stage name by which he was known all over America, “Tennessee” Ernie Ford. His rich baritone/bass voice and a down-home humor style made him a regular fixture on TV in the 1950’s and 60’s.
His powerful, flawless voice lent itself to spirituals and hymns and his early recording career included many recordings of these. Ford’s best-known hit was “Sixteen Tons,” a cover of a little-known Merle Travis song which reached #1 on the Billboard charts in 1955. In this clip, Ford appears on the Jack Benny Show in 1961, singing the classic folk song, “The Ballad of John Henry,” the story of a mythical, freed African-American slave, working laying railroad track.