Ernie Ashworth brought joy to millions of fans throughout his amazing career that has lasted nearly six decades. Born Ernest Bert Ashworth in Huntsville, Alabama, on December 15, 1928, he began his career singing on the Huntsville radio station, WBHP. In 1949, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where he worked for several radio stations and was signed as a songwriter for Acuff-Rose Music. Among the artists who recorded his songs between 1949 and 1955 were "Little" Jimmy Dickens, Carl Smith, and even Johnny Horton.
Success is something that did not come easily to Ernie. In 1957, he returned to Huntsville and began working at the Redstone Arsenal, doing guided missile work. Three years later, Fred Rose arranged a recording contract for him with Decca Records. Billed as "Ernest Ashworth." His first single, "Each Moment (Spent With You)," ended up becoming his first Top 5 Hit. Later that year, "You Can't Pick A Rose In December" went into the Top 10. His next single "Forever Gone" went into the Top 20 in 1961
In 1962, Ernie signed with Hickory Records, which was owned by Roy Acuff and Fred Rose. There he scored a Top 5 Hit with "Everybody But Me" and a Top 10 with "I Take The Chance." It was his third release for Hickory that would become his signature song and the biggest hit of his career. This song was none other than "Talk Back Trembling Lips," which stayed on the national charts for 42 weeks and also did quite well on the pop charts.
Ernie was voted "Most Promising Male Artist" by Cashbox, Billboard and Record World in 1963 and 1964, and was also invited to join the cast of the Grand Ole Opry that same year. More chart records followed including "The D.J. Cried," "At Ease Heart" and "I Love To Dance With Annie," but he never had a record that lived up to the success of "Talk Back Trembling Lips."
In 1989, he purchased WSLV in Ardmore, Tennessee. Always a popular performer overseas, he had a Number 1 song on the Independent National Charts, "Lonely Only Bar," in 1999 and was also named the "Number 1 Most Programmed Independent Artist in Europe" that same year.
There are no words that can describe this kind of a loss, but his legacy will live on through his music and his fans.
