Ernest Ferguson

Born in Bon Aqua, Tennessee on July 16, 1918

Departed on October 19, 2014 and resided in Fairview, Tennessee

Ernest Charlton Ferguson (96) passed away in his sleep on the morning of October 19, 2014. He had been in declining health the past few years and had been residing in a nursing home in Franklin, TN. He is survived by his children Daniel of Locust Grove, VA, Carolyn of Tullahoma, TN, Loretta of Kingston Springs, TN, Thomas of Woodbridge, VA, and Jack of Jacksonville, FL, many grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his son Timothy and by Virginia Ferguson Sirois, the mother of his children.

Ernest was a Nashville native and in the early 40's played mandolin with Johnnie & Jack & the Tennessee Mountain Boys, Kitty Wells, and Paul Warren. Later he joined the Bailes Bros. and performed with them on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and then the Louisiana Hayride in Shreveport. He recorded 52 songs with them including the original and classic "Dust on the Bible". His mandolin stylings contributed to the Bailes Bros. unique sound. He was the last surviving member of the Bailes Bros. group. Ma Bailes always called him their "Other Brother".

He played mandolin on recordings by the King's Sacred Quartet. A superb gospel quartet that included singers: Johnnie Wright, Jack Anglin (aka Johnnie & Jack), Raymond 'Duck' Atkins, and Clyde Moody that were recoded on the KING label in August 1947.

He moved to northern Virginia in the early 50s to join with Grandpa and Ramona Jones, and a youngster named Roy Clark to play the Washington D.C. area and the Northeastern US country music circuit. After raising his family there in Virginia he retired and moved back to his hometown in the Nashville area. There, over the past decades he continued to play shows with the Bailes Bros. He toured Holland twice with them and the young Leroy Troy. He enjoyed playing music with his numerous local pickin' pals that he had met over the years. Ernest was honored to be an IBMA Bluegrass Pioneer and celebrated that status over the years at the Pioneers event in Owensboro, KY. He received an award for his contributions to Bluegrass Gospel Music by Enoch and Marge Sullivan in 2006.

A memorial service will be held in Nashville at the Harpeth Hills Memory Gardens on Rte 100. Visitations will be on Thurs Oct 23 from 4 to 8pm and again on Friday morning from 9 to 10am. The memorial service will begin at 10am Friday following the visitation.