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Ernie's performs Merle Travis's timeless anthem to the working man Sixteen Tons on The Ford Show, October 18, 1956. This was the first time he performed this blockbuster hit on his show - the third episode of The Ford Show. Tennessee Ernie Ford wasn’t the first artist to record “Sixteen Tons,” but he made it his signature. The song, inspired by the travails of the real-life coal miners of Kentucky, was first recorded by one of his forerunners on the Capitol label, Merle Travis, in 1947. In 2015, the song was recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress for its cultural significance, and it was also adopted into the National Recording Registry. About Tennessee Ernie Ford Born Ernest Jennings Ford on February 13th, 1919 in Bristol, Tennessee, Tennessee Ernie Ford has made an indelible impact on America and the world through his unparalleled accomplishments in radio, records and television. Throughout his legendary career spanning over 50 years, Ernie Ford's early suc
