Country Music Legend. It’s not just a title; it embodies my friend and colleague Ernie Ashworth. Ernie is one of the few entertainers, through hard work and diligence as well as a loyalty to the DJ’s and his fans, who has retained his status as a successful touring musician / singer.
Ernie was recently nominated for a Grammy and Time Life Records added his No. 1 Smash Hit Talk Back Trembling Lips to their collection on Classic Country — Hard to Find Hits.
Ernie passed on March 9, 2009. I was lucky to have spoken to him just prior to his passing. He was his usual happy and spry self, asking me to marry him and ditch my finance!
After he read this article and the one that follows, Ernie was elated. His passing has touched the lives of many and broken hearts such as mine. It is with love that I release one of our many interviews in dedication to him and his wife Bettye, whom he sits with today.
Please sit back in a comfortable chair with a cool drink of water and relax a while. I am about to take you on a journey back in time and behind the scenes to talk with an incredible man who led an incredible life.
Ernie Ashworth: Country Music Legend, Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee, Grammy Nominee and Grand Ole Opry Star.
Jaci Rae: The first question I would like to ask you, Ernie, is about your history. Where you came from; where you were born; and how you acquired your passion for country music.
Ernie Ashworth: I was born in Huntsville, Alabama. People on both sides of my family were musicians, and I was in tune with music just about all my life. I just never thought about it as a career.
I listened to the Grand Ole Opry back when I was a kid growing up. We had an old battery radio, ’cause we didn’t have electricity back then. That’s how far back I go and I never ever dreamed that I would become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. I would listen to the Carters and just about any country music they played.
I could actually write songs before I could play music. I learned how to pick around local places in my hometown. My cousin told me that being a musician got the girls. I thought that was a good idea, so I started to pick and he was right.
Back in those days, they had programs on Saturday morning and they’d invite people in to play. I’d go down and play. The more I played, the better I liked it.
Then I sent some songs to Accuff-Rose Publishing Company in Nashville (They were the first music publishing company). They liked what they heard, called me into Nashville and I signed with them.
Mr. Welsely Rose got me a recording deal for writing with MGM in 1955, but I also wanted to be a singer. By then I had songs recorded by Carl Smith, Little Jimmy Dickens, Wilma Lee Cooper, Johnny Horton and Paul Anka who recorded my song, I Wish. I wanted to be a recording artist myself, but no one would listen to me at my publishing company.
Finally I went directly to Mr. Rose’s office, and it was a blessing from the Good Lord that I went around everyone else and straight to him. It was on a Saturday when they normally aren’t in, but for some reason one guy that worked for Mr. Rose was at the office that day.
I went in and handed him a song that I had written and sang on. He listened to it and said, “I like this. Would you leave it so I can give this to Mr. Rose Monday?” I was working for the government at the time.
He called me Monday at noon and said, “Wesley Rose would like to talk to you.” Boy was I nervous! Mr. Rose said, “How would you like to be a songwriter for me?” I said, “Well Mr. Rose, I’m not interested in being just a songwriter. If you lay a songwriter’s contract down there and a recording contract, I’ll sign ‘em both.”
He said, “You’ve got a deal.” Then Mr. Rose got me a deal with Decca Records in 1958, which was a major label at the time. The first record I ever made was called, Each Moment I Spent with You. It was the first song ever to cross over from country to pop. Talk Back Trembling Lips hit the top of the pop bill in Pennsylvania.
Jaci Rae: It hit the pop charts in the top spot?
Ernie Ashworth: When it hit No. 1 on the country charts, it hit the pop bill in the top spot too.
Jaci Rae: That was your first No. 1 hit, correct?
Ernie Ashworth: Yes ma’am.
Jaci Rae: So you were one of the first people to have a crossover hit back then?
Ernie Ashworth: I guess I was probably the first county artist to do the crossover thing. But Decca wouldn’t promote my songs nationally. Mr. Rose said, “I can’t get Decca to do anything. If you were with me, I would start a company called Hickory Records and have my promotional men out there going to every radio station in the country.”
I told him, “Well sir, why don’t you take me off Decca records and put me on Hickory Records?” He said, “I can’t do it, but you can contact Decca and tell them you want to be released from Decca.” So I flew to New York, walked into the main offices of Decca and told them I wanted to be released.
They said, “There’s no way. We can’t release you. You are one of our top artists.” I told them, “Well, I had a song there that hit the pop charts and you wouldn’t do anything about it.”
They said, “Well, we saw it there and we thought it was a mistake.” And I said, “Well, I made a mistake when I signed with Decca records.” They said, “Well, we can’t release you.”
I said, “Well, let me tell you one thing mister, you can keep me on a contract, but you can’t make me sing. If you wanna keep me under that condition, I guarantee I won’t sing for you.”
They saw I was set and had no way to force me to sing so they said, “Well, if you feel that strongly, there ain’t nothing we can do but release you.” I said, “Got that right!” So they gave me the release and I went back to Nashville. Then I went to Mr. Rose and he started Hickory Records. That’s where I had most of my hits.
Jaci Rae: You mean back then that’s all you had to do? Today there would be lawsuits and breech of contract issues.
Ernie Ashworth: They just released me when I told them “You can keep me on that contract, but you can’t make me sing.”
Jaci Rae: WOW! I am very impressed! Ernie, you have been in country music a long time and have seen the incredible changes that have occurred over the years. What do you think is causing the demise of country music right now?
Ernie Ashworth: They tore down Opry Land to put in a shopping mall. The Opry brought in thousands and thousands of people each year. Greed I believe is one of the first reasons country music is seeing a decline.
Jaci Rae: Ernie, I know Nashville is trying to attract a “younger” crowd. In order to do that, the powers-that-be have been dumping the “older” artists. What are your thoughts?
Ernie Ashworth: The young artists and people aren’t the one’s that built the Grand Ole Opry. It was the traditional artists that built the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman.
Jaci Rae: I have performed on stage with you and you are a dynamo. What was it like for you when you first began?
Ernie Ashworth: I enjoy performing now; back in my younger days I was, you know, I was nervous. Actually, I was so nervous it kind of hurt my career. When I had my No. 1 hit, Talk Back Trembling Lips, I was working for the government making missiles.
Jaci Rae: You worked for the government making missiles?
Ernie Ashworth: Yes. I worked in the guided missile field. I was involved with the first missile shot into space. When I had Talk Back Trembling Lips, I had no stage experience. I had to have a big drink you know, of booze, before I walked out on stage.
Jaci Rae: Really?
Ernie Ashworth: When you come from making guided missiles to the stage, it’s terrifying. I was over there in country music doing shows; I had no experience, no experience at all in the music business.
Then when Talk Back Trembling Lips became such a smash hit, I was in demand for personal appearances. I didn’t know how to act. Each time I took to the stage I had to have a little more, a little more and a little more. It really hurt my career because it got to where I couldn’t walk on stage ’till I was half-drunk.
Jaci Rae: So at one point you were almost an alcoholic?
Ernie Ashworth: Yes.
Jaci Rae: When were you able to stop drinking to quell your stage fright?
Ernie Ashworth: I don’t know, just all of a sudden. I asked God to help me and the desire to do it went away.
Jaci Rae: Good job! I have heard others say it’s hard to beat the bottle.
Ernie Ashworth: At first it was hard. But when I got through it, I never did that again. If someone walked into my house right now and said, “I’ll give you ten thousand dollars to take a shot of booze.” I’d say no thank you, because I know if I ever touch it again, even one time, I’m right back where I was.
Jaci Rae: Good for you Ernie. That’s wonderful.
Ernie Ashworth: I know what it would do to me. I’m not afraid to walk out on any stage anymore.
Jaci Rae: It doesn’t appear that you have a single drop of stage fright when you’re out there and the audience adores you. I hope we get to perform together again someday.
Ernie Ashworth: Me too, because you’re one of my favorite people.
Jaci Rae: Thank you Ernie! Back in the day, it’s my understanding that an artist would walk into a radio station, record in hand, and the DJ could play their music on the spot. In today’s world, an artist could not get that kind of attention. Is that the way it was?
Ernie Ashworth: Back in those days, anybody could walk into a radio station. I still do it today. But back then you just looked for the radio tower and if you could pick and sing, they would put you on.
Jaci Rae: What fun for the artist and what an incredible impromptu moment for the listening audience! That was a magical time! So that’s what you did? You just walked in?
Ernie Ashworth: Yeah. I just walked in there and told them I’d like to sing. Then I told them I wrote a song, (Ernie starts to sing) “Please read this letter that I’m writing to you and then you’ll know that I love you true, each word that’s written…”
They put me on and I always thanked the DJ’s and would write them personal note to thank them. Back then, I would write 2,500 personal letters to DJ’s all around the world. That was before computers. Bettye and I had three children at the time. I didn’t do it just one time, I’ve done it many, many times.
Bettye and I had a system set up where I would write the letters and Bettye would fold them. One of the kids would stuff them in the envelope, another would seal and address them and another would put a stamp on them. We had an assembly line!
That’s what really helped build my career because nobody else was doing that.
You’d be surprised how many DJ’s wrote back and said, “Not many people take the time to write a personal letter.” I built a good relationship with disc jockeys by writing personal letters to them.”
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