On This Day in 2009, We Lost One of the First Country Artists to Ever Crossover Into Pop Music—and Wrote Songs for Little Jimmy Dickens and Johnny Horton

Multiple country artists—such as Johnny Cash, Charley Pride, and Patsy Cline—also tasted success on the pop charts. One of the first musicians to do so was Ernest Ashworth, who died on this day (March 2) in 2009 at age 80. In addition to topping the country singles chart, Ashworth’s 1963 hit “Talk Back Trembling Lips” fell just short of the all-genre Hot 100, peaking at No. 101.

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A Look at Ernest Ashworth’s Life and Career

Born in Huntsville, Alabama, on Dec. 15, 1928, Ernest Ashworth grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio program, long nursing a dream to perform there himself one day. Moving to Nashville in 1950, he joined a band called the Tunetwisters.

Landing a songwriting gig at Acuff-Rose Music, Ashworth penned songs for the likes of Little Jimmy Dickens, Johnny Horton, and Paul Anka. He managed to score a contract with MGM in 1955, but after failing to reach the charts, Ashworth returned to Alabama to work in the Army’s Redstone Arsenal missile plant.

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He didn’t stay away for long, however. Wesley Rose, the son of Acuff-Rose co-founder Fred, helped him land a contract at Decca Records in 1960. This second stab at performing proved more fruitful, with his first single, “Each Moment (Spent With You)”, hitting the Top 5.

That success continued when Ashworth moved over to Hickory Records in 1962. He released another Top 5 hit with “Everybody But Me”, followed by the Top 10 single “I Take the Chance.”

Third Time’s the Charm

In the case of Ernest Ashworth, the old adage proved true. He followed the aforementioned hits with “Talk Back Trembling Lips.” Reaching the apex of the hot country singles chart, “Talk Back Trembling Lips” stayed on the charts for a whopping 42 weeks.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1950, This Red Foley Song Became Country Music’s First-Ever Crossover Pop Hit and Was Later Covered by Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra]

Voted “Most Promising Male Artist” by Cashbox, Billboard, and Record World magazines, Ernest Ashworth fulfilled his childhood dream of joining the Grand Ole Opry in 1964.

Although he never matched the success of “Talk Back Trembling Lips”, Ashworth would continue to perform at the Opry until his death. He was a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, the Texas Hall of Fame and the Alabama Country Music Hall of Fame.

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