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River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved
In 1942 Ernest Jennings Ford married nineteen-year-old Betty Jean Heminger, whom he had met at Victorville Army Air Base in California. River of No Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved is the recounting of their life together, of Ernie's spectacular success as an entertainer, of their growing spiral of self-destruction as his career flourished, and of their two sons' despair as they watched the light slowly fade from their parents' eyes and the joy vanish from their lives. For Betty it was vodka, valium, and tranquilizers. For Ernie, it was beer for breakfast, Cutty for lunch at the club, and whatever later in the day. In River of No Return, their son Jeffery remembers when his family's joy of being together was infectious, when the promise of every day and the thrill of being at the center of the spotlight was rapturous. It was a time when the name Ernie Ford was in the air and his fame worldwide.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published May 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 22, 2019
River of No Return: Tennessee Ernie Ford and the Woman He Loved by Jeffrey Buckner Ford
5 stars
When I started this book I didnt think it would fit the challenge. I only knew Tennessee Ernie Ford from the song Sixteen Tons and thought he was a one hit wonder. Turns out in the 1950's and 60's he was one of the top entertainers of the day. I would have been 2 or 3 months old when he began his television show that ran for 5 years, so I dont remember watching it.
This biography is written by his son. At first I thought it was going to be a moaning and groaning book about how his dad's second wife took everything and left the kids with nothing, but once you get past that first chapter it is very interesting. It is more about the loving relationship his mother and father had, that was not without its ups and downs. His mother did not like the life of the rich and famous and became an alcoholic. His father could not deal with fading fame and also became an alcoholic. In the end alcohol contributed to both of their deaths. They ended up being married for over 30 years. She was barely in the ground and he married a woman he had only known for a few months and only lived 2 more years after they were married but this greedy woman wanted everything and the kids got nothing, not even keepsakes, and they ended up in litigation for years. You can tell the son loves his parents even though at times their relationship was rocky. Even though I was not really a fan, I loved this memoir and hope his son's future is a lot brighter.
5 stars
When I started this book I didnt think it would fit the challenge. I only knew Tennessee Ernie Ford from the song Sixteen Tons and thought he was a one hit wonder. Turns out in the 1950's and 60's he was one of the top entertainers of the day. I would have been 2 or 3 months old when he began his television show that ran for 5 years, so I dont remember watching it.
This biography is written by his son. At first I thought it was going to be a moaning and groaning book about how his dad's second wife took everything and left the kids with nothing, but once you get past that first chapter it is very interesting. It is more about the loving relationship his mother and father had, that was not without its ups and downs. His mother did not like the life of the rich and famous and became an alcoholic. His father could not deal with fading fame and also became an alcoholic. In the end alcohol contributed to both of their deaths. They ended up being married for over 30 years. She was barely in the ground and he married a woman he had only known for a few months and only lived 2 more years after they were married but this greedy woman wanted everything and the kids got nothing, not even keepsakes, and they ended up in litigation for years. You can tell the son loves his parents even though at times their relationship was rocky. Even though I was not really a fan, I loved this memoir and hope his son's future is a lot brighter.
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December 5, 2008Tennessee Ernie was one of my dad's favorites. It is written by his son and he pulls no punches. Ernie Ford was an alcholic for 30 years and not a happy man a large portion of his life. Sad.
July 14, 2011
What a sad sad story.
December 29, 2023
What starts as a promising biography, with an opening chapter detailing the fight in the family after Tennessee Ernie's death, quickly devolves into an extremely dull homage to the author's drug-and-alcohol abusing mother who committed suicide. There is actually very little about Tennessee Ernie in this book beyond some factual information, and even that is hyped by the author with inaccurate claims of the singer being the greatest at pretty much everything.
Having Ford's son write this book is a mistake. He is too invested in defending his horrible mother's image (which takes up about half the pages) and in trying to make his father look more significant in music history than he actually was. Yes, there were a few years where Tennessee Ernie had some great success, but he was not at the top of the ratings or the biggest selling music artist of all time. At one point Jeffrey says his dad was the first singer to sell two million singles. Come on, do some basic research discover that the man wasn't even close to holding the record. The author repeatedly also puts his father's TV shows at the top of the Nielsen ratings, and again a basic online search would prove that wasn't true.
I did learn that Ford's "pea picker" phrase was actually about migrant workers in the Great Depression. His son tries to claim in the book that his father was an "unsung social activist" by using the term to address listeners and viewers, but in retrospect it actually looks like his dad was being racially insensitive or possibly even talking down to people.
The most interesting part of the book is how Sixteen Tons came about, and at the end of the chapter the author writes, "I was hesitant to include the story of that song's genesis in this book." HUH? It's the biggest song his dad ever made! Shows the lack of judgment on the writer's part and reading much of the book I had to question Jeffrey's choices and handling of information.
The second half of the book, after Ford leaves his prime time TV show, is a messy mixture of family vacations and a marriage falling apart. At the end Jeffrey rushes through his mother's suicide and his dad's last years with a new wife so quickly that it lacks any emotional punch.
The pages are filled with a son trying to figure out why his mother and father went from being a humble happy couple to a destroyed home. He doesn't know Tennessee Ernie well enough to draw any conclusions, though he tries at first. "My God, I'm psychoanalyzing him. If he were still alive, he'd kill me." But on the last page the author concludes, "I'm not certain there's a moral here. And if there is, I'm not so vain as to suggest it be a lesson to anyone." I'd say the moral is pretty obvious--that fame and success can be destructive, not just to the performers but to the spouses and family members. And that once Tennessee Ernie stopped getting the respect he desired from his materialistic, fame-hungry, substance-abusing wife that he pulled the plug on his career and kind of gave up.
In truth Ernie's wife (the author's mother) is the unstated villain, selfishly causing the emotional destruction of her husband and kids before taking her own life. In the right hands this could have made for a compelling True Hollywood Story, but the son is not the right person to do it because he offers nothing but a gushing tribute to his beloved mother to the point of no return.
Having Ford's son write this book is a mistake. He is too invested in defending his horrible mother's image (which takes up about half the pages) and in trying to make his father look more significant in music history than he actually was. Yes, there were a few years where Tennessee Ernie had some great success, but he was not at the top of the ratings or the biggest selling music artist of all time. At one point Jeffrey says his dad was the first singer to sell two million singles. Come on, do some basic research discover that the man wasn't even close to holding the record. The author repeatedly also puts his father's TV shows at the top of the Nielsen ratings, and again a basic online search would prove that wasn't true.
I did learn that Ford's "pea picker" phrase was actually about migrant workers in the Great Depression. His son tries to claim in the book that his father was an "unsung social activist" by using the term to address listeners and viewers, but in retrospect it actually looks like his dad was being racially insensitive or possibly even talking down to people.
The most interesting part of the book is how Sixteen Tons came about, and at the end of the chapter the author writes, "I was hesitant to include the story of that song's genesis in this book." HUH? It's the biggest song his dad ever made! Shows the lack of judgment on the writer's part and reading much of the book I had to question Jeffrey's choices and handling of information.
The second half of the book, after Ford leaves his prime time TV show, is a messy mixture of family vacations and a marriage falling apart. At the end Jeffrey rushes through his mother's suicide and his dad's last years with a new wife so quickly that it lacks any emotional punch.
The pages are filled with a son trying to figure out why his mother and father went from being a humble happy couple to a destroyed home. He doesn't know Tennessee Ernie well enough to draw any conclusions, though he tries at first. "My God, I'm psychoanalyzing him. If he were still alive, he'd kill me." But on the last page the author concludes, "I'm not certain there's a moral here. And if there is, I'm not so vain as to suggest it be a lesson to anyone." I'd say the moral is pretty obvious--that fame and success can be destructive, not just to the performers but to the spouses and family members. And that once Tennessee Ernie stopped getting the respect he desired from his materialistic, fame-hungry, substance-abusing wife that he pulled the plug on his career and kind of gave up.
In truth Ernie's wife (the author's mother) is the unstated villain, selfishly causing the emotional destruction of her husband and kids before taking her own life. In the right hands this could have made for a compelling True Hollywood Story, but the son is not the right person to do it because he offers nothing but a gushing tribute to his beloved mother to the point of no return.
March 22, 2021
June 6, 2008 my husband and i were driving through Nashville and decided we’d stop at the gift shop... a man walked over to me and said i needed to buy his book. I had no idea who he was! He said he wrote it about his dad; i asked who his dad was, and he said “Tennessee Ernie Ford”. I remember listening to his dad singing hymns when i was little on nights I spent at my grandma’s. I told him I would buy it if he would autograph it, which he did. I am so glad, even though it was 15 years before I read it.
I had no idea what hard lives they lived. I felt the sadness through his words. I did “drift off” a bit when names were dropped. They were worthy of being mentioned because of the rolls they played in their lives, but ...
I had no idea what hard lives they lived. I felt the sadness through his words. I did “drift off” a bit when names were dropped. They were worthy of being mentioned because of the rolls they played in their lives, but ...
February 20, 2023
I inherited this book from a relative and while I grew up knowing Ernie Ford's name, I never knew the music or the man. In this book, not only did I get to know the man and his family, but I also got a view into the culture of our world through the decades. The book is not a pleasant happily-ever-after story, but a very tangible and honest look at Mr. Ford's life. It is a very fascinating read, I found, from love to loss and everything in between. One of the main themes throughout is the culture of alcohol that played such a huge role in life, not only in the circles of fame, but in the lives of parents from the 40's and 50's. It is also a cautionary tale of the emptiness that can come into our relationships when we are not honest and open with each.
December 21, 2022
Always my favorite personality but only really knew him through the I Love Lucy episodes. I never knew anything of his incredible recording and television career. A tragic yet very human portrayal of family. Great read.
June 8, 2023
This book was written by Tennessee Ernie’s son & tells the sad story of his parents life & problems.
October 21, 2017
Tennessee Ernie Ford, the old pea picker, was a favorite in my household. His TV shows and albums of hymns, were must see and must listening.
He seemed so smooth and sincere and happy.
“River of No Return”; written by his son attempts to tell his story.
Ernie Ford in this story reminds me a little of Lonesome Rhodes in “A Face in the Crowd”. What we, the audience, saw was what Ford wanted us to see.
Tennessee Ernie was a wild success story, rising to stardom from radio, and then TV. A gifted musician, he presented quite a picture to the audiences.
At home was a different story...a mentally unstable wife and both of them heavy drinkers.Ford’s son paints a picture of dysfunction and Fordks last years were quite sad.
I love these old stories of media giants. The backstory is at once sad and revealing.
Glad I read it...sorry I know the whole story.
Three jimmys out of five.
He seemed so smooth and sincere and happy.
“River of No Return”; written by his son attempts to tell his story.
Ernie Ford in this story reminds me a little of Lonesome Rhodes in “A Face in the Crowd”. What we, the audience, saw was what Ford wanted us to see.
Tennessee Ernie was a wild success story, rising to stardom from radio, and then TV. A gifted musician, he presented quite a picture to the audiences.
At home was a different story...a mentally unstable wife and both of them heavy drinkers.Ford’s son paints a picture of dysfunction and Fordks last years were quite sad.
I love these old stories of media giants. The backstory is at once sad and revealing.
Glad I read it...sorry I know the whole story.
Three jimmys out of five.
June 11, 2016
Wow. I had no idea.
The elder son of beloved Tennessee Ernie Ford tells the good and the bad of money and fame's influence on a loving couple and their sons. I am so sorry the boys (now men) had to experience the painful situations they did. I'm am happy that the author seems to have risen above the negatives and can remember the earlier days of fun and love. He doesn't mention his younger brother is much detail and perhaps that is a good thing; privacy and a normal life are things to be treasured. Besides, the story is about Ernie and "his lovely wife Betty".
The author has continued his life in a lesser spotlight with acting, voice overs, commercials, multi-media writing and producing, and he manages Ernie Ford Enterprises.
He tells his children (now adults) that for there to be good, there has to be evil; in order to appreciate love there has to be hate. Look out or one another; family - that's what counts.
I hope both the author and his brother have mostly normal lives with few downs and mostly love, peace and joy.
Thank you for sharing your story.
The elder son of beloved Tennessee Ernie Ford tells the good and the bad of money and fame's influence on a loving couple and their sons. I am so sorry the boys (now men) had to experience the painful situations they did. I'm am happy that the author seems to have risen above the negatives and can remember the earlier days of fun and love. He doesn't mention his younger brother is much detail and perhaps that is a good thing; privacy and a normal life are things to be treasured. Besides, the story is about Ernie and "his lovely wife Betty".
The author has continued his life in a lesser spotlight with acting, voice overs, commercials, multi-media writing and producing, and he manages Ernie Ford Enterprises.
He tells his children (now adults) that for there to be good, there has to be evil; in order to appreciate love there has to be hate. Look out or one another; family - that's what counts.
I hope both the author and his brother have mostly normal lives with few downs and mostly love, peace and joy.
Thank you for sharing your story.
November 13, 2011
While the only Tennessee Ernie Ford song I'm familiar with is "Sixteen Tons," this book held my interest from the beginning. The inside information that his son gives about his family life made me feel as if I was peeking through a window, absorbed in the sad drama.
Even more enjoyable for me was the inside information he gave about the music and television industries. It brought to mind the phrase about "swimming with sharks." Between the low expectations of the television networks and Capitol Records, it's amazing he reached the level he did.
However, throughout this narrative, there are many happy memories included. I was torn between wondering if the writer was an optimist or a pessimist. He was probably somewhere in the middle.
Even if you aren't a Tennessee Ernie Ford fan, for those interested in the eras depicted or the industries I referred to above, it's worth a read.
Even more enjoyable for me was the inside information he gave about the music and television industries. It brought to mind the phrase about "swimming with sharks." Between the low expectations of the television networks and Capitol Records, it's amazing he reached the level he did.
However, throughout this narrative, there are many happy memories included. I was torn between wondering if the writer was an optimist or a pessimist. He was probably somewhere in the middle.
Even if you aren't a Tennessee Ernie Ford fan, for those interested in the eras depicted or the industries I referred to above, it's worth a read.
April 24, 2013
Part biography, part memoir, part regretful post-mortem, this book, like its subjects, is like no other. I grew up in a home where Tennessee Ernie Ford visited every day during the mid-1950s. I knew "Sixteen Tons" by memory before my 4th birthday and was tired of it by my 5th. Reading about his tumultuous relationship with his wife Betty does nothing to detract from his American musical iconhood. One might observe that fame and/or fortune is again proven to drive people to madness, but such generalizations are moot. Suffice to say if the reader is curious how fairy tale turns to nightmare, the author's memory of his parents might indicate one major cause: boredom.
January 14, 2017
I picked this book up on impulse at the library. I knew nothing about Tennessee Ernie Ford other than "16 Tons" and his shilling for Martha White.
Fantastic, sad story of how Hollywood can help turn a good family into an alcoholic nightmare.
Recommended for music geeks and music history geeks.
Fantastic, sad story of how Hollywood can help turn a good family into an alcoholic nightmare.
Recommended for music geeks and music history geeks.
July 30, 2015
Outstanding biography, extremely well-written. Of course, I grew up listening and watching Tennessee Ernie, but this book painted a crystal-clear picture of him, as well as the world of celebrity.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews