November 16
SIXTEEN TONS DAY
‘Tennessee’ Ernie Ford drove to the top spot on the record charts on this day in 1955. Sixteen Tons, where he owed his “soul to the company store,” became the fastest-selling record in history, jumping to #1 in just 3 weeks. The tune, on Capitol Records, stayed at #1 for eight weeks.
Ernie (bless his little pea-pickin’ heart) Ford is known for other classics, including: Mule Train (1949), The Shotgun Boogie (1950), The Cry of the Wild Goose (1950), I’ll Never Be Free (w/Kay Starr - 1950), Mr. and Mississippi (1951) and The Ballad of Davy Crockett (1955).
Ford was also famous for his religious albums, his NBC-TV show (1956-1961), and his many other television appearances. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1960.
But, we remember him most fondly for that 1955 smash about work, work, work: “You load sixteen tons and what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt...”
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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