Bristol, US
country, spirituals, folk
1.2bn all-time streams (17 Feb '26)
The booming baritone voice of Tennessee Ernie Ford was best known for his 1955 cover of Merle Travis' grim coal-mining song "Sixteen Tons." But there was more to Tennessee Ernie Ford than that.

Over his long career, Ford sang everything from proto-rock & roll to gospel, recorded over 100 albums, and earned numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award.