Editor’s spotlight — updated daily
Tennessee Ernie Ford
United States
Tennessee Ernie Ford's recording Sixteen Tons hit number one on the Billboard charts in 1955 and is often credited as the first rock and roll hit, launching the rock era. He hosted The Ford Show from 1955 to 1961, a variety program sponsored by Ford Motor Company. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1990 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His album Hymns spent 350 consecutive weeks on the Billboard album charts, and he earned three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
